Comparison between the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut (both American DVDs distributed by New Line Home Entertainment)


Theatrical Version: 88:17 min without credits (91:27 including credits) in NTSC
Director's Cut: 93:49 min without credits (96:59 min including credits) in NTSC

- 10 altered scenes, including
* 4x alternative footage
* 2 scenes, where the Director's Cut is shorter

- Difference in time: 333,3 sec (= 5:33 min)

The additional difference in time is a result of several very short scenes (always less than 0,5 seconds) that were cut out in the DC which won't be mentioned in this report because of their irrelevance.

"I know you don't smoke weed. I know this. But I'm gonna get you high today.
Because it's Friday. You ain't got no job. And you ain't got shit to do..."

Starting with these words (commencing when we see the production logo), spoken by Chris Tucker aka Smokey, this little "Hood Comedy" from 1995 shows 24 hours of Craig's (Ice Cube) life. There is not much plot involved in the movie, but the main focus is on the weird characters. Besides Tucker, the runtish Tony Cox, playing a vengeful husband, and the lusty pastor Bernie Mac should be well-known characters of the movie.
There were 2 sequels, Next Friday and Friday After Next, released in the years 2000 and 2002.

14 years after the theatrical release, a Director's Cut was released in September 2009 for the American home theatre sector, that is about 6 minutes longer. It was rated R by the MPAA, the "Unrated"-Imprint therefore simply seems to be an eyecatcher.
The additional scenes actually are brand new, so it is not just the movie including the deleted scenes from the old DVD, which are also included as bonus material on the Director's Cut DVD.
The new edition of the movie introduces some characters a little erlier and slightly rounds down the plot, but it doesn't really change the movie. For fans it is still an interesting consideration.
Especially Craig's dad (John Witherspoon), who in the credits is simply called "Mr. Jones", has some more screentime.
The DVD includes the complete bonus material of the old DVD and a newly produced featurette (about 24 min).

According to imdb, some of the additional scenes (e.g. Felisha's first appearance and the conversation between the two kids at the beginning of the movie) have already be shown in some American TV-Versions. However, these versions where censored at some points, so the new material was partly used as buffer for some dialogues that included hard swearing (the DC is complete in this respect).


In the UK the Director's Cut was released on 28.09.2009 as DVD and Blu-Ray.



The runtime is arranged in the pattern
Theatrical Version (NTSC) / Director's Cut (NTSC)

Because of the first few changes, the song "Tryin' To See Another Day" by The Isley Brothers is heard a little longer.



Credits
00:00-00:45

The first credits (on a black background) run a little slower in the DC.

DC 2 sec longer




Alternative Footage
00:56-01:01 / 00:58-02:08

In the Theatrical Version the shot from above is longer; then, the scene fades to an external view of the Jones-family's house.

Prior to this, the DC shows miscellaneous additional scenes from the neighborhood.

First, we see Deebo sleeping on the couch, then Ezal running away with stolen goods (we hear sirens).
He passes some kids, who comment this with:
"Dang, he at it again!"
"My daddy caught him trying to break in to my house two days ago. And beat him down."
"For real?"
After that, Stanley runs them off with a load of his garden hose; "Ha, you little rat bastards."
Then we see Smokey who just wakes up and lights a spliff; "Gotta start the day off right, man."
He then shrugs a little (later we get to know that this is probably an aftermath of his PCP-high), stretches himself and joyfully shouts out.

DC 65 sec longer




Theatrical Version is longer
01:04-01:06 / 02:11

The Theatrical Version fades to the inside of the house a little earlier.

+ 1,7 sec

03:24 / 04:29-05:12

After Craig ran the Jehovah's Witnesses off, he in the DC has a conversation with his sister Dana - we get to know, that he has a crush on Debbie.

Craig opens the Door of Dana's room, she's still dozily; "Dana. Dana."
Dana, annoyed: "What?"
Craig: "Do me a favor."
Dana: "What, Craig?"
Craig: "Hook me up with Debbie."
Dana: "No."
Craig: "Why not?"
Dana: "Because she's about to graduate. She ain't got no time to be messing with you."
Craig: "Come on, Dana."
Dana: "No. Plus, Joi will kick your ass anyway."
Craig: "Joi ain't gonna do a goddamn thing."
Dana takes the offensive: she shouts so that her mother can hear it: "Craig, get out of my room."
Craig: "Shut up. You need to be up anyway."
Dana: "What time is it?"
Craig: "Twelve-thirty."
Dana: "For real? Damn."
She startles up, Craig leaves.

42,9 sec

Alternative Footage
04:29-04:42 / 06:17-06:44

When Mr. Jones bitches about Craig normally eating all the food, the scenes following the words "In the goddamn refrigerator..." are different in both versions.


Theatrical Version:

- We see Craig, his dad continues off-screen; "...eating up all the food. All the chicken, all the pig feet..."
- We see Mr. Jones; "...all the collard green..."
- Again the irritated Craig, from off-screen we hear "...all the hog maws."
- We see Mr. Jones: "I wanna eat some of them chit'lins. I love pig feet."

DC:

- At first, his father's speech is the same ("...eating up all the food. All the chicken, all the pig feet."), but the shot of Craig begins a little earlier, stopping at about the same time as in the Theatrical Version
- We see both standing in font of the fridge, he continues: "You ate my dinner. My mashed potatoes. And the good old gravy I like, the biscuits I like to sop that gravy. You ate all that up. You drink up the milk, don't care what kind of milk it is. You don't care, 2 percent, 3 percent, buttermilk..."
- In between an alternative shot of Craig, looking a little depressed; "Patent milk, pull the cow on a patent milk can, I bet you eat that too. What's wrong with you?"
- Mr. Jones continues talking: "All I have is my grapes. You gonna eat up all my grapes."

The Theatrical Version continues, when Craig turns aside.

DC 13,4 sec longer




Theatrical Version is longer
05:04-05:05 / 07:06

We see Craig just slightly longer when he wants to throw away the cereal.

+ 0,7 sec

Alternative Footage
05:07-05:09 / 07:08-08:23

In the Theatrical Version, Craig's dad just says "You put some water on that damn shit".

In the DC he makes a much longer speech about how much better Craig's life is compared to his dad's childhood and what he has to do to take care of Craig.

Mr. Jones, while Craig rolls his eyes: "You better eat that damn cereal. You ain't got no damn milk, goddamn bitch. When I was coming up, we didn't have milk, cereal, a bowl to eat in. Spoon, fork and knife. No napkins or nothing. You do like this. And put your hands like this. You ever do that?"
Thereby he wipes his mouth with his hand and Craig replies: "No."
His father continues: "Have you ever had government cheese? Craig, government cheese, you had some?"
Craig: "No."
Mr. Jones: "Big stinking government cheese. Couldn't take a dump for two weeks. Eat it on the 4th, by the 18th, everybody trying to get to the bathrooms. I wanna eat some of them chitlins, I love pig feet. The barbecue pig feet were gone. You got grease all over your mouth. I had a sweet potato pie, you ate the pie. Left me that little plastic thing there. You ain't got no damn milk. Ain't that a bitch? You funny."
He briefly laughs and then continues while dancing cheerfully: "You're my boy. You remind me of my granddaddy. You know what your problem is? You think money grows on trees. Just go out, pick you 4 or $500 and go off and just dance and eat chicken and dance. You just having all the fun in the world..."
Then he gets mad: "You know how many stinking dogs I gotta catch to fill that big ass bowl you got there, boy? Forty-five, 50 dogs. Stinking, nasty dogs and 12 of them little stinking things they call a chihuahua."

The last advice about the water is shown as mid-shot or the shot begins earlier than in the Theatrical Version.

DC 72,7 sec longer




07:43 / 10:57

Craigs father can be seen minimally earlier before he asks "Why not?"

0,5 sec

Alternative Footage
07:44 / 10:58-11:05

In the same take he adds: "George Clinton was a dog catcher."
Craig corrects: "No, he wasn't."
Mr. Jones persists in his viewpoint; "Sure he was. That's why he said: Do the dog catcher, dog catcher..."
Thereby he dances and does some weird movement with his hands.

The Theatrical Version in return shows the following shot of Craig a little earlier, here he still holds his nose.

DC 7 sec longer




Alteration of the Soundtrack
08:14-08:18 / 11:35-11:39

When Craig leaves his bathroom, his mother in the Theatrical Version says fom off-screen "Craig, telephone!", prior we hear the phone ring.
This was deleted in the DC's Soundtrack because of the following extension.

Unfortunately, his dad's grunting reply "Oh, damn..." was also deleted.

Picture for Orientation

Alternative Footage
08:18-08:20 / 11:39-12:22

After Craig left the bathroom, he enters the following take from the right in the Theatrical Version.

The DC prior offers another scene and changes to the take a little later, when he already grabs the phone.
Craig has to get rid of Felisha, who here already bums him for something.

There is wild knocking on the door, Craig opens and looks annoyed; "What's up?"
Felisha: "Nothing."
Craig: "Where's Debbie at?"
Felisha: "Oh, she's at the house. Craig, can I use y'all's microwave right quick?"
Craig: "Yeah, what'd you gotta cook?"
Felisha: "Some chicken."
Craig: "Give it here, I'll do it."
Felisha: "No. See, I was hoping that I could take it to the house with me."
Craig: "My microwave?"
Felisha: "Yeah."
Craig: "That's like me asking to use your air condition."
Felisha: "You know, if we had a air conditioner I would let you use..."
Thereby the phone rings. To distract Felisha, Craig looks to the front and says "Damn!"
She then looks to the same direction; he pushes her away and quickly closes the door.

DC 41,5 sec longer




86:37 / 90:39-92:09

The scene inside the house starts earlier; Craig has a conversation with his father who, again, is on the pot.

Mr. Jones yells: "Craig, come here! Craig!"
Craig follows his voice to the toilet; there, his father says: "Shut the door and have a seat."
Craig: "Can I leave the door open?"
Mr. Jones, we again and again hear noises of poo falling in the toilet bowl: "Shut the door. Now you see, son. You gotta let us know when you leave the house. What if you got killed tonight? We'd have to bury you. You know how much a funeral costs these days?"
Craig, holding his nose the whole time; "No."
Mr. Jones: "About 4 or $5000. I ain't got no 4 or $5000 to plant you in the ground. You understand?"
Craig: "Yeah."
Mr. Jones: "You keep your ass around this house. Your supervisor called about your job. She wants you to call tomorrow."
Craig: "For real?"
Mr. Jones: "Mm-hm. Now, Craig... I was proud of you tonight. You used your brain. That's what I want you to do, use your brain. That's my boy. That's my boy."
Craig looks puzzled, because he has to listen to his dad in the bathroom again; then he leaves.
He looks into a bedroom; "Night, Mama."
His mom answers; "Night, baby."
Then he says to his sister in a rude tone: "Dana!"
She is dozily again though, therefore she doesn't even notice him; he goes on, grinning contentedly.

90,7 sec