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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Most controversial opinion.

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award has run in 194 episodes. The most recent 40 are listed below — open any episode at its timestamp to hear the segment.

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‘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

‘Law Abiding Citizen’Craig Horlbeck

Disagrees with Bill; thinks Daniel Craig had the grit for roles like Den of Thieves/Law Abiding Citizen instead, and Butler's brutal, unsubtle brand (and Scottish speech pattern) don't fit Bond's suave subtlety

‘Law Abiding Citizen’Van Lathan

Calls Bill's take 'dazzling putrid' — entertaining but flawed, noting Craig's success as Bond and Butler's failure to carry Olympus Has Fallen; ultimately concedes it's a hot take, not a good one

‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’Bill Simmons

He's watched 'Missing in Action 2' more times than 'Rambo 2', and considers the climactic Chuck Norris fight-to-the-death scene one of the best fight scenes of the last 45 years, despite the movie overall not being that good.

‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’Kyle Brandt

'Predator' rips off 'Rambo 2' big time — citing parallel plot beats (jungle setting, bureaucrat in a tie, nighttime insertion gone wrong, village shootout, indigenous ally, losing modern weapons for primitive ones, mercy at the end) despite Predator being one of his top 5 movies ever.

Episode	Host	Answer
‘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
‘Law Abiding Citizen’	Craig Horlbeck	Disagrees with Bill; thinks Daniel Craig had the grit for roles like Den of Thieves/Law Abiding Citizen instead, and Butler's brutal, unsubtle brand (and Scottish speech pattern) don't fit Bond's suave subtlety
‘Law Abiding Citizen’	Van Lathan	Calls Bill's take 'dazzling putrid' — entertaining but flawed, noting Craig's success as Bond and Butler's failure to carry Olympus Has Fallen; ultimately concedes it's a hot take, not a good one
‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’	Bill Simmons	He's watched 'Missing in Action 2' more times than 'Rambo 2', and considers the climactic Chuck Norris fight-to-the-death scene one of the best fight scenes of the last 45 years, despite the movie overall not being that good.
‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’	Kyle Brandt	'Predator' rips off 'Rambo 2' big time — citing parallel plot beats (jungle setting, bureaucrat in a tie, nighttime insertion gone wrong, village shootout, indigenous ally, losing modern weapons for primitive ones, mercy at the end) despite Predator being one of his top 5 movies ever.