Five "WTF??" Christmas Movie Moments

I love Christmas movies! They are so warm and cheerful, and just put you in the best spirits this time of year. However, even the really good movies will occasionally have a scene which seems to come out of nowhere and either be really strange or just make no sense.

Here are five odd scenes from otherwise fine movies that make me say "WTF???"

Abraham Song (Holiday Inn)

This may be cheating, but it is considered a Christmas classic. For some reason. I mean, yeah Bing Crosby sings White Christmas in it but this is hardly a great Christmas movie. But the most infamous part is the President's Day segment, where Bing Crosby sings a song about how Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. What makes this odd? HE DOES IT IN BLACK FACE! We can argue all day whether ot no this is offensive or not, the bottom line is that the scene is just disturbing. Watching these actors sing what is admirredly a nice somg in black face is just....WTF? I know it was 1942, but why? The scene is often cut from TV airings. I tried to watch it for this, but it is so awkward I just can't.

Squirrel Attacks Family (Christmas Vacaction)

I love this movie, it's a real guilty pleasure. The jokes work and some still make me laugh. But when the climax approaches, the movie tries to one up itself by making every joke bigger and broader. This brings us to the squirrel scene. This scene is simply not funny. It happens after Clark drags a tree inside the house. Why isn't it funny? I finally realized the reason. For almost the whole movie the only person at any risk of getting hurt is Clark. That ends in this scene. Ok, maybe I am taking this a little to seriously, but really what if his kids had gotten bitten or something? Guess it's no surprise the next shot after the squirrel escapes is the family packed up to leave. It's just  not funny. Bad scene in an otherwise great movie.

Scrooge Goes to Hell (Scrooge, 1970)

I absolutely hate the Albert Finny musical version of A Christmas Carol. The songs are awful, the characters are annoying, and Albert Finny drives me nuts. I also hate the liberties they take with the story. Why does Scrooge forgive everyone's debts when he is happy in the end? That makes no sense! But the strangest moment has to come at the end of the Christmas future segment. We get the typical cemetery scene, except rather than just end up on his bed at the end he takes a little trip. To hell! I am dead serious! And there, he runs into Jacob Marley again who shows him around. Not strange enough? Marley explains that Scrooge is going to be the devil's secretary. Then he is wrapped in a massive chain which we never had to see, we get the idea! All I have to say is, WTF?? This whole scene is corny and lame, spoiling an otherwise decent film. The background looks like something from a Star Trek episode, and really isn't this just beating a dead horse at this point?  Much like the Holiday Inn scene, this is often cut from TV airings.

The Puppet Car (The Polar Express)

I love this movie, it has a very nice message and it is very pretty to look at. I like the songs and enjoy Tom Hanks's role(s). But I have to admit, it does get boring at spots. I usually watch with a fast forward button for scenes like the caribou on the tracks or the long North Pole scene (and why were the elves such jerks?). But the one scene I always skip over is the puppet car. Where did this come from? If it's in the book that would explain it, but the scene still makes no sense. Our main character (does he even have a name?) wanders into the toy car where puppets scare him. Then a Scrooge puppet suddenly starts to talk to him, saying the boy is just like him or something. We see that the Hobo is actually controlling the puppet. So obviously this means...I have no idea what this means. It's a weird scene that quietly goes away and is never mentioned again.

Sigh.  Ok, I know I am going get disagreement on this, but here we go:

Visting The Bad Santa (A Christmas Story)

Sometimes seeing things when you are to young can really ruin a good experience. This is a beloved classic, but not for me. This movie came out when I was 8 or 9, and I hated it. I just didn't get it, and I had problems with several scenes. None more than the scene with the mall Santa! Pretty much, everything Nostalgia Critic said about why he loves this scene is why I hated it. It's a deviation from the rest of the film. The movie is very quiet and set in real life, aside from a fantasy sequence or two. This is bizarre, with crazy close-ups, wide angle lens's and, as NC said, a nasty Santa who clearly doesn't care about the job. And what the heck was up with that slide? Why would any mall hire a Santa like that? I hated every single second of that scene, and I avoided this movie for years after that. Now I am an adult, and I get it. This movie is from the point of view of an adult remembering a Christmas as a kid, which explains why things are embellished here and there. Who can remember accurately? This movie does have some charm and I admit is not as bad as I thought for years. But it will never be a favorite. I hated the whole plot about Ralphie wanting a gun, and most of the jokes did not work for me, OK the FRAGILE one was funny, but it was the Santa scene which I never forgot, which made me hate this movie for years, and which remains one of my biggest WTF?? moments ever!

I am sure I missed other great examples, so if you remember a moment which made you say WTF? from a classic Christmas movie, comment and share.