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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Most controversial opinion.

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award has run in 195 episodes. The most recent 40 are listed below — open any episode at its timestamp to hear the segment.

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‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’Bill Simmons

Of all the movies made in the 1980s this is the one that most resembles the structure of a 1980s porn — the bad acting (especially the mom), set-up scene then Freddy, set-up then Freddy; and Wes Craven did direct porn, as 'Abe Snake'

‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’Chris Ryan

Wes Craven is as good at directing teenage hangouts as he is at directing horror, and that is the secret to his horror success: fifteen Linklater-believable minutes with the four kids make you care when the otherworldly evil arrives ('no, not Tina')

‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’Craig Horlbeck

Freddy is a miss — the dime-store-magician look, the gloves, the name-embroidered fedora, the long arms — but that is why the movie stands the test of time: nailing Freddy would have made it too scary; the softer Freddy keeps it palatable

‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’Van Lathan

Kind of Team Freddy: the parents' vigilante burning skipped due process ('we live in a country of laws', 'I can make an argument that Freddy was lynched'), so the kids are kind of getting what they deserve

‘It Follows’Bill Simmons

He would have rolled the dice for a one-night stand with the It Follows girl at any point from age 18-27, talking himself into believing it would work out; also believes if the movie came out today with studio backing it would make at least $100-180 million.

‘It Follows’Chris Ryan

Maika Monroe still holds the 'Scream Queen belt' (over Jessica Roth and Samara Weaving), with Naomi Watts as his pick for the 2000s (Ring, Ring 2, Funny Games remake, Mulholland Drive); also suggests the sequel to It Follows should have been a straight comedy/sex-comedy about Paul.

‘It Follows’Joanna Robinson

After her experience doing 'Hand That Rocks the Cradle' and 'Obsession,' there is no amount of sex worth the demon STD—no time for a one-nighter; also takes the hot take that It Follows is better than Hereditary, Midsommar, and Weapons.

‘Friday the 13th’Van Lathan

Society was in a much better state when weed was called 'grass' — it was cheaper, cooler, you had to know a guy (the people smoking grass in The Big Chill and Dazed and Confused seem like a cool time)

‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’Bill Simmons

In character as 'Stephen A. straight shooter,' says he doesn't care about the Texas murders of five young people — he only cares that Leatherface, 'the best slaughterhouse chef in this country,' might not be able to do his thing anymore.

‘13 Going on 30’Bill Simmons

'Vienna' by Billy Joel was the most underrated great pop song for almost 30 years (1977-2004) and belongs among the best pop songs of all time, on par with 'Wonderwall,' 'Hey Jude,' and 'I Will Always Love You.'

‘13 Going on 30’Juliet Litman

13 Going on 30 is not a rom-com — it's actually a teen movie, since the romance is secondary and the story is really about a 13-year-old figuring out who she wants to be.

‘Law Abiding Citizen’Bill Simmons

Gerard Butler should have been James Bond 20 years ago instead of Daniel Craig

Episode	Host	Answer
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’	Bill Simmons	Of all the movies made in the 1980s this is the one that most resembles the structure of a 1980s porn — the bad acting (especially the mom), set-up scene then Freddy, set-up then Freddy; and Wes Craven did direct porn, as 'Abe Snake'
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’	Chris Ryan	Wes Craven is as good at directing teenage hangouts as he is at directing horror, and that is the secret to his horror success: fifteen Linklater-believable minutes with the four kids make you care when the otherworldly evil arrives ('no, not Tina')
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’	Craig Horlbeck	Freddy is a miss — the dime-store-magician look, the gloves, the name-embroidered fedora, the long arms — but that is why the movie stands the test of time: nailing Freddy would have made it too scary; the softer Freddy keeps it palatable
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’	Van Lathan	Kind of Team Freddy: the parents' vigilante burning skipped due process ('we live in a country of laws', 'I can make an argument that Freddy was lynched'), so the kids are kind of getting what they deserve
‘It Follows’	Bill Simmons	He would have rolled the dice for a one-night stand with the It Follows girl at any point from age 18-27, talking himself into believing it would work out; also believes if the movie came out today with studio backing it would make at least $100-180 million.
‘It Follows’	Chris Ryan	Maika Monroe still holds the 'Scream Queen belt' (over Jessica Roth and Samara Weaving), with Naomi Watts as his pick for the 2000s (Ring, Ring 2, Funny Games remake, Mulholland Drive); also suggests the sequel to It Follows should have been a straight comedy/sex-comedy about Paul.
‘It Follows’	Joanna Robinson	After her experience doing 'Hand That Rocks the Cradle' and 'Obsession,' there is no amount of sex worth the demon STD—no time for a one-nighter; also takes the hot take that It Follows is better than Hereditary, Midsommar, and Weapons.
‘Friday the 13th’	Van Lathan	Society was in a much better state when weed was called 'grass' — it was cheaper, cooler, you had to know a guy (the people smoking grass in The Big Chill and Dazed and Confused seem like a cool time)
‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’	Bill Simmons	In character as 'Stephen A. straight shooter,' says he doesn't care about the Texas murders of five young people — he only cares that Leatherface, 'the best slaughterhouse chef in this country,' might not be able to do his thing anymore.
‘13 Going on 30’	Bill Simmons	'Vienna' by Billy Joel was the most underrated great pop song for almost 30 years (1977-2004) and belongs among the best pop songs of all time, on par with 'Wonderwall,' 'Hey Jude,' and 'I Will Always Love You.'
‘13 Going on 30’	Juliet Litman	13 Going on 30 is not a rom-com — it's actually a teen movie, since the romance is secondary and the story is really about a 13-year-old figuring out who she wants to be.
‘Law Abiding Citizen’	Bill Simmons	Gerard Butler should have been James Bond 20 years ago instead of Daniel Craig