Phil Derrick

Phillip Derrick Rauder (b. September 14 1970,  Chicago,  Illinois) better known as Phil Derrick, is an  American  director and  screen writer best known for his  2005  independent  black comedy hit  Work and 2010's  The Stroke. He is known for his dark and absurdist humor, and a large cult following.

Early life
Phillip Derrick Rauder was born on the 14 of September 1970, in  Chicago,  Illinois. His father, Robert, was a lawyer, and his mother Laura was a school teacher. He has two younger siblings, Darren (b. 1972) and Joan (b. 1975). He is of Irish,  German and  Scottish heritage.

Work
Derrick made his directorial debut with 2005's  Work, a dark comedy film starring Claud Marin as a forty something office jock whose life gradually detortiates over the space of one work week. The film also stars Zara Clyne, Paul Zsorywacsi and Andrew Martol. Work was released on May 10th 2005 at independent film circuts, receiving rave reviews, praising the film's humor and Marin's performance. It has since gained a cult following.

Catching Time
Derrick's latest film is Catching Time, scheduled to be released on May 6th 2012 and stars  Mad Men star John Slattery, alongside  Zooey Deschanel and Claud Marin. The film, like most of Derrick's, is a dark comedy film set on a science fiction background. Slattery plays Paul Gorin, an employee of the futuristic company TechNoir. Derrick has described the film as: "A bizarre sci-fi/dark comedy/neo noir film. My most serious to date, not as blatantly comedic as The Stroke, but it has an undertone of satire to it. I'd call it my homage to Hitchiker's and Orwell".

Commenting on casting Slattery, Derrick has said "I' am big fan of Mad Men, and John just nails that suave businessman so well. His role is probably best explained as Rodger [Sterling] transposed to a sci-fi setting".

Personal life
Phil Derrick married his wife Alanna Morrow in 1993, and they have three children; Will (b. 1993), Christina (b. 1995), and Robert (b. 1999). He has called himself an Atheist, although he was raised a  Roman Catholic.

As director

 *  Work (2005)
 *  The Stroke (2010)
 * Catching Time (2012)