Cinder for the Holidays | Strains to Smoke With Scrooged

December is here and the holidays are upon us. While the weather outside is frightful, the fire inside Cinder is always delightful. Here at Cinder, one of our favorite things to do on a wintery, Spokane night is to cozy up with a good movie. Since it is the holidays, we watched the Bill Murray Christmas classic, “Scrooged.”

Scrooged

Released in 1988, “Scrooged” is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol.” Bill Murray plays an Ebenezer Scrooge-like character named Frank Cross. Cross is the president of a television station that is producing an extravagant staging of “A Christmas Carol,” that is to be aired live on Christmas Eve. Like the original Scrooge, Murray’s Cross is a mean-spirited curmudgeon. Some of the best moments in the film come from Murray being incredibly rude to the people around him. Whether its firing someone two days before Christmas, suggesting to staple antlers to field mouse or stealing a taxi from an old lady, Bill Murray is a beautiful bastard.

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The night before his colossus production of “The Christmas Carol,” Murray is visited by the ghost of his old boss Lew Hayward. Hayward is played by Jack Palance with the assistance of some excellent special effects makeup. (Scrooged was nominated for an Academy Award for best makeup and hairstyling) Hayward died an unloved miser, and he warns Murray of repeating his mistakes. When Murray protest by calling Hayward a titan of business, Hayward shouts back, “Mankind should have been my business!” This is a line from the original Christmas Carol. Hayward then informs Murray that he will be soon be visited by three ghosts.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

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At this point in the film, Bill Murray starts losing his mind, (in fact, a solid argument can be made that Bill Murray’s Cross is a legit crazy person, who cracked from the pressure of a highly demanding career) and he starts suspecting everyone of being “the ghost.” Murray then steals a taxi from an old lady, but once in the taxi, Murray meets “The Ghost.” The Ghost of Christmas Past, played by the excellent David Johansen, takes Murray back to the character-shaping moments of his life. This is also the moment where I decided to smoke a bowl. And in the spirit of the Ghost of Christmas Past, I burned some Panama Red from Le Ganja Fairy

Panama Red

Panama Red is pure landrace Sativa strain that was popular in the 1960s and it is a perfect pairing for this section of the film. The Panama Red I smoked was from Le Ganja Fairy, a farm I have used in the past for pairings with other some of my other favorite films. An uplifting and giggly high, with a spicy, herbaceous flavor. Panama Red is a strain that our parents might have smoked and that’s one of the reasons this strain works so well. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Murray to see himself as a boy in the mid-50s, then forward, to when he met the love of his life in the late 60s/early 70s. There is even a scene where Bill Murray’s love interest, Karen Allen, can be seen smoking a joint in the bathtub. Was she roasting some Panama Red? Hard to say, but I am going to believe she was because you have to believe in something.

The Ghost of Christmas Present

 

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Understandably shuck up from literally confronting his past, Murray tries to manage his lavish production of “A Christman Carol,” but ends up causing more chaos and inadvertently, but seriously, injures a woman attempting to censor the production. The injured women receive care from a nurse, who would go on to star as an iconic character from a 90s sitcom, but we’ll come back to that later.

Murray then goes looking for his lost love, Karen Allen, but ends up finding The Ghost of Christmas Present. Played by Carol Kane, The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Murray the private lives of the people closest to him, including his brother and sister in law; and his assistant Grace, who struggles to support her large family. The Ghost of Christmas Present also beats Murray’s ass! Like a lot, from hitting Murray in the face with a toaster to kicking him square in the old Santa sack. This was also when I decided to smoke another bowl, and this time, I choose Green Crack from Double Dutch Farms.

Green Crack

Green Crack is a mostly sativa strain, famous for its sharp energy and focus. It was the ideal pairing for this section of the film because it lifted me over the midway hump of the movie, and Carol Kane’s Ghost of Christmas Present acts like she has been smoking some actual crack. So it’s kind of a win/win. Also, Double Dutch Farms eighths retail for $20. So I couldn’t afford not to.

The Ghost of Christmas Future

At this point in the story, Murray is starting to realize the error in his ways. The Ghost of Christmas Past gave Murray a view to his own history, and how it shaped the man he is today. The Ghost of Christmas Present allows Murray to have a new perspective of those around him, by seeing what life is like for everyone else. In fact, The Ghost of Christmas Present literally beats empathy into Bill Murray’s character.

But Murray still has one visitor left, the thing “all men fear most,” The Ghost of Christmas Future. And honestly, The Ghost of Christmas Future sequence is surprisingly scary. The Ghost itself is a tall figure in a black robe. For its face; an old television screen, that is either a skull or even a haunting combination of a skull and Bill Murray’s face. Its body; a macabre rib cage that serves as a prison for small, sad, demonic looking creatures. It is a trip. The Ghost of Christmas Future takes Murray on a tragic journey of what might be yet to come. Murray witnesses his assistant Grace visit her now institutionalized son. Murray then sees the love of his life, now wealthy but cold. And she even credits Murray for hardening her worldview. And finally, Bill Murray observes his own funeral. A lonely and little attended cremation. Murray is then transported to inside the coffin as it starts to incinerate.

It is a heavy scene. So, you guessed it; this was when I decided to smoke another bowl. And this time, I need something to bring me back down. So I reached for some Grand Hindu from Burnwell

Grand Hindu

Burwell’s Grand Hindu is the cross of Granddaddy Purple and the ancient Hindu Kush. A heavy indica strain known for its relaxing effect. This strain was a perfect accompaniment to The Ghost of Christmas Past. And straight up, the scene with Bill Murray being burned alive from within his coffin stressed the hell out of me.

Put a little love in your heart (and a little weed in your bowl)

Just as things are looking like their worst, Murray emerges out of the flaming coffin and back to reality. After befriending a disgruntled, shotgun welding, ex-employee, Murray decides to take his production of “A Christmas Carol” hostage. He then gives an impassioned speech on what he has learned and the true meaning of Christmas. While the scene is a tad corny, it is sincere.

The message of Scrooged is one of empathy, community, and kindness. Reminding people that while Christmas is but once a year, we should be kind and giving year round. Bill Murray says at one point, “there are people have trouble making their miracle happen.” With the sentiment being, if we can, we should help.

Here at Cinder, We are so proud to be apart of the Spokane community. That is why we are doing the Cozy Canna Drive this year. With the Cozy Canna Drive, we are asking our customers and our employee to donate warm clothes, blankets, and nonperishable foods. We will then be giving the items to local shelters throughout the Spokane area.