Inspired by a true controversial ritual of lying in coffins to get rid of bad luck and prolong lives, Thai creepy story “The Coffin” has broken the record for Best Opening Day for all other Thai horror films previously held by 'Shutter'. It’s written and directed by Singapore-based Thai director Ekachai Uekrongtham (Beautiful Boxer, Pleasure Factory), the Karen Mok (Shaolin Soccer) and Ananda Everingham (Shutter) starrer has earlier topped the Box Office chart in Thailand when it opened in August last year. Described by Time Out Magazine as a "scream gem" and 8 Days Magazine as "a poised spine-tingler, 'The Coffin' tells a thrilling, mysterious and moving story of an architect and a dietician who decide to go through the ritual to cheat death only to be faced with a series of strange and terrifying incidents afterwards. Now, it’s up for your order in the DVD shelf, so you can watch this quite unique horror movie again which does not only give the spook factor, but to make us reflect and think about our life.
While “The Coffin” is not strictly a Thai film, but a co-production between Thailand's Live Inc. and NGR, Hong Kong's Global Entertainment Group and Singapore's Scorpio East Pictures, it once again showcased the unique style of Ekachai who’s quickly built a reputation as one of his country’s promised young director, thanks to his two previous films “Beautiful Boxer” and “Pleasure Factory”, a pair of films that combine sensational storylines - a transgender boxer in one, sex trade workers in the other - with sensitivity and serious dramatic chops.
The spine-chilling horror tells a story about a young man and a young woman who decide to go through the ritual in Thailand. Chris (Ananda Everingham), an architect who is extremely claustrophobic but with hope to lengthen his girlfriend’s (Aki Shibuya)life, Chris decides to overcome his fear by being in the coffin. Zoe (Karen Mok), a nutritionist, takes care of her health religiously. However, only 2 weeks before marrying her fiancé (Andrew Lin), Zoe finds out that she’s in the final stage of lung cancer. Zoe then runs away to Thailand and discovers the coffin ceremony and decides to participate in order to save her own life. Chris and Zoe are confronted by a series of paranormal and terrifying incidents. Both might have to sacrifice their lives to unfold the truth.
Product Title: The Coffin (DVD) (Taiwan Version)
Language: English, Thai, Chinese
Subtitles: Traditional Chinese
Picture Format: NTSC, 1.78 : 1
Region Code: 3 - South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Release Date: 2009-01-26 (Save your copy)
Referred to in Thailand as "Non Loeng Sadorcro" which literally means Lie in Coffin, Rid of Bad Luck, the ritual involves participants lying in coffins while a group of monks perform death rites as if the participants are already dead. This is then followed by a chant of a new life. Many participants had said they felt as if they were reborn after the ritual with bad karma buried behind them. But this death rite for the living is not without its detractors. Some brand it as an occult practice while others consider it a bad omen to lie in a coffin when one is still alive.
Ekachai stumbled upon the idea for his new film after hearing about the mass funeral for the living where thousands turned up at a North Eastern temple in Thailand to lie in coffins and go through the ritual. "Personally, I find the ritual frightening yet intriguing", says Ekachai. "Can one really cheat death by confronting it? Can bad karma actually be reversed or gotten rid of by lying in a coffin?" Adds Ekachai, "The ritual became fodder for a story which deals with our fear of death – our own as well as the death of people we love." The film was shot over two months in Bangkok and five other provinces across Thailand. Filming locations include a 100-year-old Thai temple, an ancient meditation cave, actual cemeteries and inside active crematorium chambers.
While “The Coffin” is not strictly a Thai film, but a co-production between Thailand's Live Inc. and NGR, Hong Kong's Global Entertainment Group and Singapore's Scorpio East Pictures, it once again showcased the unique style of Ekachai who’s quickly built a reputation as one of his country’s promised young director, thanks to his two previous films “Beautiful Boxer” and “Pleasure Factory”, a pair of films that combine sensational storylines - a transgender boxer in one, sex trade workers in the other - with sensitivity and serious dramatic chops.
The spine-chilling horror tells a story about a young man and a young woman who decide to go through the ritual in Thailand. Chris (Ananda Everingham), an architect who is extremely claustrophobic but with hope to lengthen his girlfriend’s (Aki Shibuya)life, Chris decides to overcome his fear by being in the coffin. Zoe (Karen Mok), a nutritionist, takes care of her health religiously. However, only 2 weeks before marrying her fiancé (Andrew Lin), Zoe finds out that she’s in the final stage of lung cancer. Zoe then runs away to Thailand and discovers the coffin ceremony and decides to participate in order to save her own life. Chris and Zoe are confronted by a series of paranormal and terrifying incidents. Both might have to sacrifice their lives to unfold the truth.
Product Title: The Coffin (DVD) (Taiwan Version)
Language: English, Thai, Chinese
Subtitles: Traditional Chinese
Picture Format: NTSC, 1.78 : 1
Region Code: 3 - South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Release Date: 2009-01-26 (Save your copy)
Referred to in Thailand as "Non Loeng Sadorcro" which literally means Lie in Coffin, Rid of Bad Luck, the ritual involves participants lying in coffins while a group of monks perform death rites as if the participants are already dead. This is then followed by a chant of a new life. Many participants had said they felt as if they were reborn after the ritual with bad karma buried behind them. But this death rite for the living is not without its detractors. Some brand it as an occult practice while others consider it a bad omen to lie in a coffin when one is still alive.
Ekachai stumbled upon the idea for his new film after hearing about the mass funeral for the living where thousands turned up at a North Eastern temple in Thailand to lie in coffins and go through the ritual. "Personally, I find the ritual frightening yet intriguing", says Ekachai. "Can one really cheat death by confronting it? Can bad karma actually be reversed or gotten rid of by lying in a coffin?" Adds Ekachai, "The ritual became fodder for a story which deals with our fear of death – our own as well as the death of people we love." The film was shot over two months in Bangkok and five other provinces across Thailand. Filming locations include a 100-year-old Thai temple, an ancient meditation cave, actual cemeteries and inside active crematorium chambers.
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