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'Friday' With Donnie Kwak, Hannah Giorgis, and Justin Charity

November 30, 2017 · Friday (1995) · Comedy · Drama · 1:01:03 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Picking Nits

Donnie Kwak▶ 10:17The $200 debt to Big Worm doesn't feel like a particularly urgent or necessary plot device
Donnie Kwak▶ 46:15Several nits: Chris Tucker visibly doesn't inhale the weed (holds smoke in his mouth — a non-smoker tell) while supposed non-smoker Craig smokes convincingly; the Ice Cube voiceover appears only twice and feels forgotten; the drive-by/gun pivot into the message is inelegant (quotes F. Gary Gray agreeing the movie 'crashes into that moment'); and he doesn't fully buy Nia Long's Debbie being that attracted to Craig.
Hannah Giorgis▶ 10:40Doesn't think the $200 plot is necessary but accepts it because it brings amazing lines, confrontation points, and the opportunity to see Faison Love with hair curlers
Hannah Giorgis▶ 53:04Didn't mind the Witherspoon speech (loves him giving it); her nit: the character is spelled 'Felisha' on screen, so everyone writing 'Bye Felicia' misspells it; also doesn't believe Debbie would suddenly fall for Craig over the course of one day (a reminder Ice Cube wrote the movie).
Justin Charity▶ 49:53John Witherspoon's anti-gun message should have been dramatized as a scene, not a speech — e.g., Craig pausing pensively before dropping the gun and decking Deebo; though he defends the sudden drive-by as adding a sharp extra dimension to the stoner comedy. Also agrees the mid-movie voiceover is weird and the Debbie romance ending feels unearned.

Who Won the Movie

Donnie Kwak▶ 11:26Chris Tucker — Chris Tucker - 'as soon as he appears on screen, just dominates everyone's attention'
Hannah Giorgis▶ 12:38Chris Tucker — Supports Chris Tucker's performance, noting how much was ad-libbed and praising his unscriptable physical comedy
Justin Charity▶ 11:33Chris Tucker — Agrees Chris Tucker dominated through his dynamic with Ice Cube and chemistry that made their unlikely friendship believable

Most Rewatchable Scene

Donnie Kwak▶ 26:04Red getting his chain snatched by Debo
Hannah Giorgis▶ 26:33Craig getting high scene (specifically for Smokey's Michael Jackson dancing)
Justin Charity▶ 27:05Red getting his chain snatched by Debo

What's Aged the Best

Donnie Kwak▶ 28:18F. Gary Gray's career and the clothing in the movie (Craig's flannel, khakis, chucks, clean t-shirt), but ultimately agrees Nia Long wins
Hannah Giorgis▶ 29:03Nia Long, and also Regina King, but specifically Nia Long
Justin Charity▶ 28:55Nia Long

What's Aged the Worst

Donnie Kwak▶ 31:31How frail/weak the weed looks in the drug dealing scenes, and body shaming scene
Justin Charity▶ 31:37Agrees about the weak-looking weed in the Hector car scene, and the body shaming scene that doesn't make sense

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Donnie Kwak▶ 45:25Does Deebo come back and beat their asses later?
Hannah Giorgis▶ 45:33Why would somebody steal that many boxes?
Justin Charity▶ 45:41Whether Craig is guilty of stealing the boxes and why he would steal boxes

Movies Referenced (15)

Rush Hour (1998)

8 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity▶ 16:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Next Friday (2000)

3 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity▶ 56:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rush Hour 2 (2001)

3 mentions · Justin Charity, Donnie Kwak▶ 16:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Dark Knight (2008)

3 mentions · Justin Charity▶ 41:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Good Year (2006)

2 mentions · Donnie Kwak▶ 1:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

House Party (1990)

2 mentions · Donnie Kwak▶ 4:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

2 mentions · Justin Charity, Donnie Kwak▶ 59:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Three Kings (1999)

2 mentions · Justin Charity, Donnie Kwak▶ 42:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beauty Shop (2005)

1 mentions · Justin Charity▶ 42:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Half Baked (1998)

1 mentions · Hannah Giorgis▶ 4:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pitch Black (2000)

1 mentions · Justin Charity▶ 50:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rush Hour 3 (2007)

1 mentions · Donnie Kwak▶ 16:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

F. Gary Gray

12 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity · Known for The Italian Job▶ 1:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Donnie Kwak · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 19:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Nolan

1 mentions · Donnie Kwak · Known for Tenet, Interstellar, Inception▶ 57:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (27)

Chris Tucker

47 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity, Hannah Giorgis · Known for Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, Silver Linings Playbook▶ 1:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ice Cube

32 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity, Hannah Giorgis▶ 1:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Witherspoon

17 mentions · Justin Charity, Donnie Kwak, Hannah Giorgis · Known for Friday, Next Friday, Vampire in Brooklyn▶ 1:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nia Long

14 mentions · Justin Charity, Donnie Kwak, Hannah Giorgis · Known for The Best Man, Big Momma's House, The Best Man Holiday▶ 28:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Rock

7 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Hannah Giorgis · Known for Top Five, The Longest Yard, Head of State▶ 18:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bernie Mac

5 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity · Known for Ocean's Eleven▶ 1:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Regina King

5 mentions · Hannah Giorgis, Donnie Kwak · Known for Ray, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Harder They Fall▶ 6:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Viola Davis

4 mentions · Hannah Giorgis · Known for Fences, The Help, Doubt▶ 21:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Karen James

3 mentions · Donnie Kwak▶ 15:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Jackson

3 mentions · Hannah Giorgis, Justin Charity▶ 26:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anna Maria Horsford

2 mentions · Hannah Giorgis, Donnie Kwak · Known for Minority Report, Friday▶ 20:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jackie Chan

2 mentions · Donnie Kwak, Justin Charity · Known for Police Story▶ 58:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (1)

DJ Pooh

4 mentions · Donnie Kwak · Known for Friday, Boyz n the Hood▶ 1:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Albert Car

1 mentions · Donnie Kwak · Known for Without Remorse, A Hidden Life▶ 4:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗