Joker director’s documentary was so “disturbing” it’s never been released

Todd Phillips, director of Joker 2, produced a documentary about fraternity hazing early in his career. However, the film was deemed too extreme and was never officially released.

Prior to gaining recognition as the director who transformed Joaquin Phoenix into the iconic Joker, Phillips was involved in the production of numerous documentary films.

The director and his partner, Andrew Gurland, explored the dangerous world of hazing within a college fraternity in their film, Frat House.

During an interview with Variety on August 20, 2024, Phillips specifically recalled being confined in a dog crate while having beer and spit poured on him.

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The director clarified that while he does not support hazing, he does recognize the impact it has on the intense bonding among young men. He hesitated to compare it directly to the military, but acknowledged the enduring connection formed through shared experiences.

Phillips and Gurland’s bold movie ultimately proved successful as it was selected for the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary.

Prior to airing the documentary for the public, HBO, who had obtained the rights, faced opposition from parents, fraternity brothers featured in the film, and national fraternity organizations who expressed their disapproval of Phillips’ work.

Muhlenberg College, where the pair filmed, went as far as to claim that Phillips and Gurland had staged the majority of scenes shown in the documentary. According to an article by The Morning Call, the college stated, “This was promoted as a documentary, but it is clearly fiction. The scenes were staged and actors were paid to perform.”

Collider writer Jonathan Norcross pointed out another reason why the public may not be comfortable with watching the final version of the movie. He explained, “The level of depravity depicted here is quite extreme and is likely to disturb viewers. When Blossom [a fraternity brother] states that being in charge of hazing is ‘like having the power of a god,’ the disturbing and sadistic aspects of fraternity culture are revealed.”

Despite facing criticism from all angles, Phillip and Gurland’s Frat House has only been screened to a select audience, except for a special showing at the Alamo Drafthouse in September 2000.