Jack Samms' life is turned upside down one evening when he is visited by a menacing stranger. The stranger, known only as "Trick", shows Jack images on a computer screen of Jack's estranged wife and her lover trapped inside an air-tight wooden box. Trick gives Jack an ultimatum: get hima large sum of money within 75 minutes, or else the couple suffocates inside the box. A dangerous battle of wits ensues as Jack races against the clock to get the money and save his wife, while avoiding the detectives now on his trail. Will he make it in time?

We talked with writer/director, Kipp Tribble, about the movie.

Horror News Network: Being buried alive is one of people’s greatest fears. How did you come up with the twist on this concept for The Coffin?

Kipp Tribble: I've always been a big fan of 'the twist' in movies, and it's hard to talk about this one without giving too much away. I actually hit upon the twist for this before the concept of the movie. It was one of those things that just popped into my mind for no apparent reason and I thought it would be cool to do something like this. So I built the movie from there.

Horror News Network: Were there any other psychological-thriller’s that inspired this movie?

Kipp Tribble: "Saw" is one, minus the gore, and -- strange as it may seem -- a couple of scenes from "The Abyss" and elements of "Suicide Kings". I know they have nothing to do with one another, but once you see the movie, you'll see some of the inspiration. And the mask was inspired by a few different movies...

Horror News Network: How long was production on this movie?

Kipp Tribble: We knocked it out in 10 shooting days, with an extra day of B roll.

Horror News Network: Can you tell us about Trick and the development of his character?

Kipp Tribble: Trick was a lot of fun to script. He is flamboyant, a showman, and usually the smartest guy in the room. He's not your typical villain. He is physically inferior to the character of Jack, our protagonist, yet he is in full control. A brilliant guy with a brilliant plan, you know he's a little crazy but you're not sure how much of it is just for show. I wanted to work with a villain that was all about his cunniness and planning, similar to Kevin Spacey's villains in "Se7en" and "The Usual Suspects", and not about strength or physical size.

Once I met with Johnny Alonso (who plays Trick) I started building more of the character around him -- even before Derik (Wingo, co-director) and I offered him the role. Johnny is not a large guy and has a unique look -- part rocker, part skateboarder, part Upper East sider, part Johnny Resznick, and a few other elements thrown in. This is a look we haven't really seen from many villains over the years and it works perfectly for Trick.

Horror News Network: The character of Jack Samms is interesting. His wife has cheated on him, yet he is racing against time to save her. What can you tell us about his journey within the story?

Kipp Tribble: Jack, played wonderfully by Patrick Barnitt, has many things going on in his story. His wife did cheat on him, but he also had a slip or two along the way himself as their marriage crumbled. Jack's first instinct is to try and save his wife in order to save himself since Trick has framed him for burying her alive. Trick has giving him a ticking clock within the first few minutes of the film and demands that Jack accomplish something in order to gain the location of the coffin. Jack doesn't have much time to think it through and takes off on his journey almost immediately.

Midway through his task, Jack starts to seek a way out and how to outsmart Trick. I'll just say that this has varying results. And near the end of his journey, Jack no longer cares about the task, Trick, or clearing his own name. He feels real remorse for what happened between he and his wife and just wants to save her life.

Horror News Network: Do you feel that the mix of somewhat new talent and veteran actors like Bruce Davison mesh well in this movie?

Kipp Tribble: We could not be more pleased with how the actors came together on screen. Bruce was amazing to work with and sharing the screen with him was a lot of fun. The man can turn it on and turn it off effortlessly. Kevin Sorbo also signed on to play Sean, the lover of Jack's wife, and the chemistry between he and Sunny Doench (the wife) was as good as it gets. Their scenes trapped in the coffin together are amazing to watch.

Some of our other talent has been around awhile but have not been in the mega blockbusters enough to be noticed. We're hoping "Coffin" will give them some more exposure. They all definitely deserve it.

Horror News Network: Besides writing and producing, you also play “Scott” in the movie. You’ve acted before, as well, which do you prefer, behind the scenes, or in front of the camera?

Kipp Tribble: Funny, I got asked this question in the behind-the-scenes interview and had trouble answering it! I've always loved acting and come from the theatre, so that will always be a passion. But I get great satisfaction from putting together a film from beginning to end. My focus for several years now has been to write and create material for myself -- whether it be a lead role or supporting -- so producing comes along with that. And to be honest, producing is my least favorite. I'd rather not worry about the food budget and all that fun stuff!

So that being said, I prefer a little of both depending on the situation. If you surround yourself with a great cast and crew, directing a script you wrote and acting as well can be the best of each world. But if you get a few slackers in there who aren't 'on-board', well, that can make you just want to be an actor and leave everything up to other people. Or just sit behind the camera and leave the acting up to others. Doing both will kill you if the situation is not right.

Horror News Network: Where can our readers find out more about Coffin?

Kipp Tribble: We've just gotten on imdb.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1667416/) and we also have a FaceBook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/COFFIN/61372504931#!/profile.php?id=100000811402872) where we will continue to release news and information about how the post production is going and when you can expect to see the movie. And yes, we will release a clip or two!

Horror News Network: In closing, what would you like to say about Coffin?

Kipp Tribble: I wish I'd had more time to work on the script! But I did get to accomplish one scene that was always a goal of mine to capture on film because it is a fear of mine. I won't say what that is so as not give it away, but it happens inside the coffin.

The cast and crew were great to work with and we got a lot from people who were working for free, or next to nothing, or providing locations. We're very grateful for that.

Of course, I want to thank our EP, Spencer Johnson, for making it happen financially. Without that and his desire to make movies, we'd have a script still locked inside my computer. This also marked the first film David Stever and I got to produce together. We've been trying to get a film off the ground together for about 9 years now -- got close a few times -- and it finally happened. He was a trooper and a pro. Can't wait to do more with him. And I also can't wait to work with one of the best DPs in the business again, Keiko Nakahara. She is a future Oscar winner.

As for working with Derik Wingo, he and I have been doing projects together since acting class back in 2000, but this is the first feature film we have co-directed. His notes on the script were invalubale to me while writing this and we were never worried about co-directing, but I think much of the crew and producing team was apprehensive about having two directors that were also producing and acting. And by all accounts we pulled it off. The cast and crew still return our calls, at least!

Horror News Network: Thank you for your time, Kipp!

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