The Some Like It HOT TAKES thread

Mixolyde wrote:

Where should I go for intelligent progressive discussions?

impossible due to COVID. Meaning I don't think it happens online, though Malor's right that our European friends are much better at it round here.

But I'd say for progressive reporting, ProPublica, and progressive opinionating, Democracy Now.

Dunno if it's a hot take, but a closely related observation:

Back When The Internet Was Young, most of the flame wars I saw were between people with wildly differing politics. Now that online discourse is mostly in bubbles (present company included), the large majority of political arguments I encounter are "I take issue with the way you phrased that position that we both basically agree with" kinds of things.

All told I think the latter is more annoying.

I'd say it's because, well, a lot of political arguments are pretty much settled at this point. It's become clear that one side is the future and the other is fighting a rearguard action. The only arguments left are about how to make the journey because the destination is settled.

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

Hard agree other than Emma Thompson who is as wonderful as she always is every character is sickening. To be fair gremlins is my favourite Christmas film.

Actually that leads me to a hot take: Billy’s mum in gremlins is the greatest mum in any film ever made.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

Nope. That movie rocks.

Between Alan Rickman being Alan Rickman and Keira Knightley being Keira Knightley, the only thing that might have made it better is if Bill Murray was in it.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

I liked the sex body-doubles talking about traffic while pretending to get it on. Otherwise, I don't remember anything about the film, which usually isn't a good sign.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

I liked the sex body-doubles talking about traffic while pretending to get it on. Otherwise, I don't remember anything about the film, which usually isn't a good sign.

Oh, yeah, there are some good things, and I thought that bit was genuinely funny. I like Bill Nighy's cynical old singer who makes a comeback with a terrible Christmas song he doesn't care about, he's funny. Laura Linney's plotline where she almost gets it on with the hot guy at the Christmas party but stops because her brother calls and she has to take care of him is pretty moving. Outside of that:

--Alan Rickman is married to Emma Thompson, and he's thinking of having an affair with his assistant. Well, not an "affair"; she's flinging herself at him in a cartoonishly carnal way, and she's portrayed as basically a dog in heat that wants nothing but to bone Rickman's character, and it's not like he's that appealing in the movie. He's not rich, some kind of famous musician or artist, has a notable hobby, or is portrayed as anything other than some middle manager. But, hey, women don't need a motivation, they're just supposed to want the man.
--Colin Firth is an author with writer's block, so he heads off to I think Portugal, where he has an attractive young housekeeper at the house he's renting. She doesn't speak English, they don't interact hardly at all, but, in the end, he decides he loves her and she, of course, loves him, so he goes to her adorably insulting little peasant village and asks her father for permission to marry her; everybody agrees. They have literally not spoken a word to each other, but, hey, women don't need a voice, they're just supposed to want the man.
--Liam Neeson is sad because his wife is dead, and his little boy is utterly in love with a girl at school who he has never spoken with. Buy, hey, that's part for the course.
--The Keira Knightley/Chiwetel Ejiofor/Rick Grimes from the Walking Dead storyline is HORRIFIC in every way. Knightley and Ejiofor are getting married, and Rick's his best friend, and, shockingly, he's TOTALLY in love with Knightley's character. His job is to film the wedding, which he does . . . and the only thing he films is Keira Knightley's face. The entire time. He basically video-stalks a woman at her wedding to his best friend, and, if that isn't creepy enough, Rick shows up at their house later holding cue cards stating how much he loves her and how she's perfect, and she, of course, DOESN'T CALL THE @#$!! POLICE BECAUSE JESUS F*CKBALLING CHRIST and, of course, she doesn't need to feel threatened in any way by this behavior because women don't need a motivation as long as some man wants them.
--Some moronic British guy wants to go to America because girls are hot. He goes there, and, of course, the girls want him and he's got a cowboy hat now!

That movie is a freaking dumpster fire of regressive, horrible messages, and I can't vaguely understand how anyone, particularly any single woman, can sit through it. It is AWFUL.

Bullsh*t, Milkman! It wasn't Rick Grimes' job to film the wedding, they hired a cameraman who screwed up! Rick Grimes was filming her secretly for his own gratification!

Review invalid!

Grenn wrote:

Bullsh*t, Milkman! It wasn't Rick Grimes' job to film the wedding, they hired a cameraman who screwed up! Rick Grimes was filming her secretly for his own gratification!

Review invalid!

You're right, I retract everything, as surreptitiously film-stalking a bride at her wedding is definitely much, much better.

Listen, I'm not saying that Love, Actually isn't a good movie. It is a good movie. It's just that it's a terrible romantic comedy, and it's a really good horror movie. If they ever make a sequel to it the movie starts with Keira Knightley waking up at the bottom of a well and Rick Grimes will be at the top telling her to put the lotion on her skin or she gets the hose again.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

If you haven't read Lindy West's review of it, stop what you're doing right now and get clicky on that link. It's the funniest long-winded version of what you've written you could imagine.

Jonman wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Love, Actually is the most inexplicably popular movie ever; everything about it and every single character is utterly horrible in almost every way. It sucks.

If you haven't read Lindy West's review of it, stop what you're doing right now and get clicky on that link. It's the funniest long-winded version of what you've written you could imagine.

I have, and when I first saw it, it was like seeing The Big Lebowski talk about how the Eagles suck; it was an OH GOD, THANK YOU FOR FINALLY SAYING IT moment. That review is awesome and hilarious, and I just reread it again, and, just like people for some reason watch that movie every Christmas, I need to leave a note to read the review again, just to help me remember all the weird details I've managed to forget.

Related Hot Take; Die Hard is not only a better Christmas movie than Love, Actually, it features a much, much better love story than any of the 97 plotlines in the supposed romantic comedy.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

That review is awesome and hilarious, and I just reread it again, and, just like people for some reason watch that movie every Christmas, I need to leave a note to read the review again, just to help me remember all the weird details I've managed to forget.

Ha!

I read it annually every December, just to sharpen up my disdain for holiday schmaltz.

I had forgotten about The Big Lewboski. Damn. Now, there's a movie that is inexplicably popular. What utter derivative nonsense.

If not for a hot take on The Eagles, and "Yeah. Well. Y'know, that's just like, your opinion, man." it'd have been relegated to eternal irrelevance.

I may need to re-watch. I've been told it improves with age and a second viewing. (I wonder if this may just be the origin of trolling...) I saw it once, many years ago, and I wondered if I'd ever recover the brain cells that withered from the mediocrity on display.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

I am going to say this hot take incredibly quietly, and duck:

I.... I haven't liked any of the Studio Ghibli output I've seen.

The internet hasn't made our lives better or easier, it's just another source and location of annoying to-do and to-fix list items.

Die Hard is not a Christmas movie just because it takes place around Christmas. It was a cute idea at first, but the joke is over now. The story is not about Christmas at all. (This also may be true of Love Actually. I only saw it once and found it very forgettable. I also don't understand all the emotion around the movie - both positive and especially negative.)

Prederick wrote:

I am going to say this hot take incredibly quietly, and duck:

I.... I haven't liked any of the Studio Ghibli output I've seen.

Have you tried Ponyo? It’s hands down my favorite Ghibli. IMO it has the most cohesive narrative of any of the Ghibli flicks. The watercolor style animation is just so chill and beautiful.

RawkGWJ wrote:
Prederick wrote:

I am going to say this hot take incredibly quietly, and duck:

I.... I haven't liked any of the Studio Ghibli output I've seen.

Have you tried Ponyo? It’s hands down my favorite Ghibli. IMO it has the most cohesive narrative of any of the Ghibli flicks. The watercolor style animation is just so chill and beautiful.

Yeah. At the very least I think these movies are pleasant to look at. I happen to enjoy most of them.

cheeze_pavilion wrote:

I'd say it's because, well, a lot of political arguments are pretty much settled at this point. It's become clear that one side is the future and the other is fighting a rearguard action. The only arguments left are about how to make the journey because the destination is settled.

I love your accidental hot take. My problem with D&D is so many people think issues are settled when they're clearly not to everyone. This sort of thinking is why some use terms like "coastal elite" because folks on the coast think they got all the sh*t figured out.

Prederick wrote:

I am going to say this hot take incredibly quietly, and duck:

I.... I haven't liked any of the Studio Ghibli output I've seen.

Not too surprising, honestly. They're a bit weird, a bit long, a bit lackadaisically paced, and feature incredibly similar characters.

I absolutely adore them though, some more than others.

PaladinTom wrote:

I also don't understand all the emotion around the movie - both positive and especially negative.)

Read the Lindy West review upthread if you want to understand the negativity (and have a good laugh). Spoiler: it's basically toxic masculinity 101.

Jonman wrote:
PaladinTom wrote:

I also don't understand all the emotion around the movie - both positive and especially negative.)

Read the Lindy West review upthread if you want to understand the negativity (and have a good laugh). Spoiler: it's basically toxic masculinity 101.

That piece was hilarious and yet my wife and I watch this almost every Christmas.

So, I re-watched The Big Lebowski. Although, I am not positive that I saw it in its entirety way back when. Or else it left that middling an impression, that my mind erased it. I honestly cannot say.

And, well, you know, I may have been wrong, man.

I'm not sure yet. I had initial derision with it. My wife hated it. I then began to ponder on many of its moments. I went down the rabbit hole. I may watch it again. (Did I actually just write that...) I have even utilised a few quotes. My wife is not amused!

Read about the “D&D” thread and thought to myself, wow there’s been toxicity here about Dungeons and Dragons?

Then I actually found the place. Yeah I don’t think think I’ve ever bothered with this part of the forum for the 10+ years I’ve been around. Glad to know I’m not missing much at all!

garion333 wrote:
cheeze_pavilion wrote:

I'd say it's because, well, a lot of political arguments are pretty much settled at this point. It's become clear that one side is the future and the other is fighting a rearguard action. The only arguments left are about how to make the journey because the destination is settled.

I love your accidental hot take. My problem with D&D is so many people think issues are settled when they're clearly not to everyone. This sort of thinking is why some use terms like "coastal elite" because folks on the coast think they got all the sh*t figured out.

those Eggs Benedict Arnolds!

I'd say they're settled as political arguments. They're still live controversies as far as people accepting them emotionally, but there's no longer anything in terms of the merits of different policies or even a coherent vision of society that's being hashed out.

also "Love, Actually" was on my DVR because I heard it was a Christmas movie but never saw it, was going to delete it for space but watched it after reading this thread, and it reminded me of that old MTV show "Undressed."

speaking of "old" and "Christmas movies" and "things on my DVR I'm looking forward to watching this holiday season," here's a literal hot take: "Dune" is a Christmas movie, not just because it's a movie about a messiah, but because anything set somewhere hot and dry is a Christmas movie if you're old enough.

HOT TAKE - games rated M shouldn't be allowed to be longer than 40 hours in length.

You want to make a game for adults? Well damn well do it then. We ain't got time for 100 hours of mostly filler. Make it short and sweet.

Jonman wrote:

HOT TAKE - games rated M shouldn't be allowed to be longer than 40 hours in length.

You want to make a game for adults? Well damn well do it then. We ain't got time for 100 hours of mostly filler. Make it short and sweet.

Hah! I love this.

Somehow those “story only” settings that are meant to be respectful of your time don’t work out. I want to play a game that’s a finely tuned experience not “baby mode”.

Maybe devs should create the best 8 hour game experience that they can, and then have sliders for how much filler and busy work you would like to add to your customized game experience.

Jonman wrote:

You want to make a game for adults?

M-rated games aren't made for adults.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Jonman wrote:

You want to make a game for adults?

M-rated games aren't made for adults.

Don't be coming in here with your "logic" and "facts".