location workflow question

[euhost.net - matevz sernc-urban]

Hello

i have here a configuration, where a request to 
/forum/viewforum-18-bla.php is not parsed by php.

My Question is: why doesnt the "location ~ .php$" get's executed after 
the "location ^~ /forum/" is finished?

server is nginx 0.7.35 with fastcgi/php-cgi.

Here is my simplified non-working config file:

server {
         listen       192.168.1.2:80;
         server_name  www.domain.com;

         location / {
             root   html;
             index  index.html index.php;
         }

         location ^~ /forum/ {
              rewrite ^/forum/viewforum-18-bla.php$ 
/forum/viewforum.php?id=18 last;
         }

         location ~ .php$ {
             fastcgi_pass   127.0.0.1:8888;
             include        fastcgi_params;
         }

}

my config would work, if i duplicate the fastcgi_pass directive in 
"location ^~ /forum/". But is this duplication really needed?

Thanks for an advice.

And keep up the good work with nginx!
Matevz Sernc-Urban