Born Todd Bunzel in Long Island, NY, Phillips spent much time watching the raunchy comedies of the 1970's and 1980's. This steady diet of popcorn movies would go on to inform his later career. After the success of "Hated," Phillips helped produce "Screwed" (1996), about the life and times of Screw magazine publisher, Al Goldstein, a Larry Flynt-esque pornographer and self-proclaimed defender of the First Amendment. Phillips then directed the critically acclaimed documentary, "Frat House" (1998). Originally shot as an installment for the popular HBO series "America Undercover," the film became mired in controversy after winning the Grand Jury prize for documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Phillips and his co-director, Andrew Gurland, were accused by the film’s participants of inaccurately portraying the fraternity’s hazing rituals. At one point, Phillips and Gurland were physically threatened and were forced to find another frat house, eventually becoming participants in the hazing themselves (Gurland was hospitalized after one of the rituals). HBO decided to shelve the project, but the film leaked out and managed to find a small underground following.
The undaunted director moved on to helm famed loudmouth, comedian Tom Green, in a series of Pepsi One commercials. This collaboration led Phillips to direct his first feature film, “Road Trip” (2000), with Green as the big draw. Executive Producer Ivan Reitman brought Phillips to DreamWorks and began the process of developing what became a mildly successful teen comedy, much in the same vein as those Phillips had ingested growing up. At the same time, he began directing another documentary, “Bittersweet Motel” (2000), which followed the jam band phenomenon, Phish, through their 1996-97 tour which ended in a large two-day festival in upstate Maine. Chosen because of his outsider status and his lack of Phish appreciation, Phillips had approached the subject matter in an unrelenting and unapologetic fashion. However, after completing the work, Phillips became both a fan and friend of the band, even attending their shows after the film was finished.
After “Road Trip,” Phillips directed his next feature – the film that pushed him to a new strata – “Old School,” a comedic take on an earlier documentary subject, college frat houses. Starring Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn as a trio of thirtysomething buddies who try to recapture the outrageous fun of their long-gone college years, the movie cleaned up at the box office and, almost as importantly, made a feature film star out of the shameless Ferrell. Hot off the monster success of "Old School," Phillips directed the remake of the popular 1970’s TV show, “Starsky & Hutch” (2004), starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. His first foray into remakes, Phillips pulled off a movie that parodied the tone of the original series, while managing to add his distinct comedic style. The result was an episodic film that produced its share of laughs, but lacked a respectable plot, unlike its predecessor. Nonetheless, the movie did well at the box office and it appeared Phillips could do no wrong.
Unfortunately, his next film – the well-intentioned "School for Scoundrels" (2006) – starring such comedic stalwarts as Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, David Cross and Sarah Silverman, did not live up to his previous efforts. Hopes ran high for his next feature comedy, "The Hangover," a male-centric comedy of three friends taking their groom-to-be buddy (Bradley Cooper) to Sin City for a final bachelor weekend, only to have him go missing after a night of debauchery.