Celebrating 15 Years Of Craig, Day-Day And “Friday After Next”

On November 22nd, 2002, Craig and Day-Day showed us how you can get robbed, get hired and fired, have a slamming party and have a great holiday all on a single Friday in “Friday After Next,” Ice Cube’s third installment in his “Friday” trilogy.

Seven years after the original “Friday” made its debut, we now find that the two cousins, united in the 2000 film “Next Friday,” are now roommates simply trying to make a living and pay the rent. But Friday’s always seem to be a problem for Craig, and this one was no different, the day starting off by the pair getting robbed and Craig getting beat up by “Santa Claus.”

Friday After Next – Trailer

http://filmtipps24.tv Craig and Day Day have finally moved out of their parents houses and into their own crib. The cousins work nights at a local mall as security guards

The Ice Cube-written comedy really begins once Craig and Day-Day start their jobs as Top Flight Security guards at the strip mall owned by Moly (Maz Jobrani). Day-Day immediately goes Day-Day, becoming extra and power-tripping. The power of his new whistle goes to his head and he proceeds to alienate everyone he can. He fails in his attempt to coerce a married shopper into giving him her number and then he ticks off the wrong set of Christmas carolers, who “politely” tell him what he and his whistle can do.

Friday after the next – Top flight security of the world

Funny scene from friday after the next Involving Craig and Dumb ass Day-Day

They get chased by gang bangers, get robbed by Black Santa again and ultimately get fired by Moly after those same bangers jump him. And, as is par for the course, the two always seem to find enemies wherever they go. 

With Deebo safely locked up at the end of “Next Friday,” Craig now has to stay clear of Damon (Terry Crews) – who’s fresh out of jail and looking for “fresh fish on the line” – avoid the gang bangers, remain employed and simultaneously look out for the crackhead Black Santa who robbed he and Day-Day of their rent money.

“Friday After Next” saw the return of some of the hilarious characters from previous movies including Pinky (Clifton Powell), Mr. Jones (John Witherspoon) and Uncle Elroy (Don “D.C” Curry). But we were also introduced to a few new faces including his nosy, edged-up-mustache-having landlady Mrs. Pearly (Bebe Drake), Santa (Rickey Smiley), the aforementioned Damon and the micro midget pimp, Money Mike (Katt Williams). 

The big screen debut of Williams is most significant as it continues Ice Cube’s successful tradition of giving aspiring comics, such as Chris Tucker (Smokey) and Epps, their chance at stardom. Tucker and Epps, after starring in “Friday” and “Next Friday”, respectively, continued their Hollywood ascension while Williams would capitalize upon his scene-stealing role as Money Mike by appearing in various TV shows and by channeling Money Mike in a slew of highly successful comedy specials.

Friday After Next 1st chase scene

Uploaded by BOOMxxHEADSHOT on 2009-02-08.

“Friday After Next” wasn’t as successful as “Next Friday” in terms of box office receipts, yet I have always felt that it was vastly underappreciated in terms of its comedic genius. The chemistry Cube and Epps fostered in the second film carried over, and they had a few hilarious exchanges that seemed to be missed by many. 

Watch them in the car (yes, the same Beamer from “Next Friday” with the “10s”) as they get ready to start their new jobs as Top Flight Security. The way Epps transformed the position of strip mall security guard into a Presidential security detail like, “Top Flight Security of the World,” job was absolutely hilarious and turned “Top Flight” into a widely recognized phrase.

Friday After Next – Told you am a player scene

Another scene from the Friday after the next scene with Day-Day saying hes a player and then something stupid happens right after he says that Enjoy

The laughs never stop in the film as it’s loaded with comedians who must have given those on the set tons of outtakes. In “Friday After Next” Cube brought together the likes of Epps, Witherspoon, Curry, Sommore, Crews, Smiley and Gerry Bednob while introducing us to the talents of Katt Williams. This collection of talent is a testament to his vision and his commitment to keep Black Hollywood employed and successful, something he should always be respected and celebrated for. 

He took the reigns from Eddie Murphy, who helped launch the careers of talents such as Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, and has continued the practice of bringing Black actors together on the silver screen while also breaking in new talent over a span of 20+ years through the “Friday” trilogy. 

While “Friday After Next” might not have been as popular as the other two films, it still was a success comically and financially, grossing $32 million on a production budget of $10 million. It added another notch in Cube’s rapidly expanding belt of Hollywood success. 

It gave actors, both old and new, a chance to showcase their talents. It gave fans another film to laugh hysterically at and proved, once again, that Black film can hold its own in mainstream Hollywood. That’s the true brilliance of the “Friday” series and the manifestation of O’Shea Jackson’s true character – always present, always innovating, always proving, always looking out, always giving back and always succeeding.

The only complaint we have is that we haven’t gotten “The Final Friday” with Craig, Day-Day and Smokey yet. Come on Ice Cube, make it happen and we’ll be there to support.

YOU KNOW!

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