ThisFunktional Magazine Volume 4 Issue 02 - October 2023

Angel of Light

Issue 02 - October 2023

Stitched Up Heart

The Rite and Burlesque

INTERNET TROLLS

BEWARE Dear David 11

DEAR DAVID In theaters October 13

Table of Content • Letter from the editor Movies of the Month

• Album Review Stitched Up Heart “To The Wolves”

• Single Release Lexi Layne “Serpent”

• October Album Releases • Ballet Review: American Contemporary Ballet “The Rite”

• Movie Feature “Dear David”

• Interview Feature • Angel of Light

Letter From The Editor Dear Reader,

Movies Of EISMAYER

CANDELA

DEAR DAVID

15 CAMERAS

The Month THREE BLIND MICE

THE HAUNTING LODGE

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST

PUPPY LOVE

Stitched Up Heart’s complex, wise newest album Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

HOWLING – Cover art for Stitched Up Hearts (Courtesy of Century Media) this album marvelous.

Lead guitarist Merritt Goodwin shreds track to track with heavy riffs to bring tracks together.

Bassist Randy Mathias keeps the heart pounding and energy high.

Listening to “To The Wolves” straight through takes listeners on a strange, emotional, and wonderful journey.

This album as a whole shows a growth in Stitched Up Heart which was pleasant and welcomed.

It is delightful and satisfying hearing a band not only get comfortable with their sound, but finding ways to expirement with their sound in a manner where they can satisfy loyal fans and still reach a new audience.

The harder tone of the album was fabulous and as the theme of the album becomes darker, the wonderful instrumentals bring in the high energy and maneuver the listener through it in a fantastic way.

This album has been on repeat since it was released on September 1 by Century Media.

(Image from Instagram @Lexi_Layne)

Lexi Layne charms with “Serpent” Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

attention of many people even being mentioned by hard rock band Disturbed after fans continued to tag the band on Lexi Layne appreciation posts.

The incredible single and music video continues to gain views over on Layne’s Youtube Channel.

Follow Lexi Layne on Instagram at @Lexi_Layne for more from Layne, from cover songs to behind-thescenes and even opportunities to ask Layne questions about her music and herself.

Make sure to listen to Lexi Layne’s EP “Sinner and Saint,” available on digital platforms now.

October Alb

bum Releases

American Contemporary Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional American Contemporary Ballet take audiences through a journey of sacrifice in “The Rite and Burlesque,” performances going on now through October 28.

Ballet does not usually inspire fear, ACB and Director Lincoln Jones bring a bewitching performance of “The Rite” ballet and a Lynchian burlesque show to Los Angeles starting on October 6.

“The Rite,” ACB’s adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring,” hopes to inspire a frightening performance straight through as it immerses the audience in a world inhabited by bewitching young women – one chosen, one sacrificed – and the score that caused a riot in 1913 Paris.

As the start to the three short performances, and the longest of the three, “The Rite” enchants attendees as they are immersed into the plot of rituals and sacrifice.

“Plot with ballet is a difficult thing, ” Jones said. “It becomes more difficult in the fact that ballet’s subject matter is dancing. Plot can be sort of an uncomfortable partner there” Unlike with different elements of film, conveying everything successfully through just movement can be limiting.

Creating storyline through more symbolic means in ballet have not been explored too much traditionally.

For Jones, the Lynchian style lends itself to bringing out story elements using this film style. “‘The Rite,’ is based on ‘The Rite of Spring,’ it has a really good plot device which is that it’s based on the human sacrifice,” Jones said. “You know what is going to happen essentially and the audiences is already there.”

With elements of the story already in the mind of the audience, the ballet can

Ballet get the show RITE play upon how it happens.

For the most part, most of the dancers have been training with ACB for years and have been working together with directors and choreographers giving everyone trust in each other. “[One of] the first thing created in a ballet generally is the music,” Jones said. “Everyone responds to music differently. What I see in my mind when I hear this score and I think of the idea of sacrifice and what is interesting to me is it’s natural that this work is different.”

“The Rite” brought forth a witch vibe to enhance the mood during this spooky season production.

It took a short time to develop choreography and pre production for “The Rite,” but allowing flexibility to adapt depending on how the vision of the director and the look of the physical dancers came together.

“My idea with the October performances has always been to have multiple performances, like a double feature,” Jones said.

Composer Charles Wuorinen helped inspire how the different components came together.

The first two are intense in different manners that play with the expectations of the audience.

“The Rite” and “Burlesque” balance each other while playing with the unknown.

A third performance finishes up the night which is sure to surprise those in attendance.

American Contemporary Ballet presents The Rite & Burlesque: October 6 - 28 Tickets: $65-$140; opening night champagne reception Performance Venue: Two California Plaza 350 S. Grand Ave., 28th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071 For more information on American Contemporary Ballet or to buy tickets to “The Rite” go to ACBDances.com

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional

The internet’s frightening new troll, DEAR DAVID Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional Everyone who uses social media or any form of the interact where people with each other dislike trolls, “Dear David” is the ultimate form of trolling.

Shortly after comic artist Adam (Augustus Prew) responds to Internet trolls, he begins experiencing sleep paralysis — while an empty rocking chair moves in the corner of his apartment. As he chronicles increasingly malevolent occurrences in a series of tweets, Adam begins to believe he is being haunted by the ghost of a dead child

named David. Encouraged by his boss to continue the “Dear David” thread, Adam starts to lose his grip on what is online…and what is real. Based on the viral Twitter thread by BuzzFeed comic artist Adam Ellis.

What’s the most spookiest is the way this troll makes everyone believe that Adam is going crazy and no one believes what is going on.

The slow transformation of Adam helps audiences not just keep up with the chaos but also gives the opportunity to sympathize with him.

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional “One of the things I really wanted to do was, one of the things that I could see, is the similarities of online trolling and a haunting,” John McPhail, “Dear David” director, said.

“Your home is your sanctuary, it’s your safe place, if you are being haunted, even if you are being trolled, you are getting the buzzing in your pocket, the pings on your screen, and it’s that kind of pressure that I wanted some what applied on

[Adam].”

Having a main character that is such an online personality and someone who cannot escape that online life was something McPhail wanted to play with.

The contrast with the entity that is haunting Adam, Dear David, comes with yet another personality, this one does not need the internet, but rather is obsessed with the internet and is menacing online.

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional With elements that may be familiar from other haunting films, “Dear David” comes up big with the inclusion of very modern concepts such as going viral, which seems to be everyone’s goal and the creepy pasta aspect as well.

The horror from this comes less from a highly frightening monster that is to be feared and more from the commentary this film does on the societal norms that are

being valued.

This story also does a fantastic job in walking that line of is this happening to the character or is he having a breakdown.

Is this just something he is making up.

The film plays with the idea of mental health being a part of what is happening to Adam throughout the story.

“The question that is always asked on twitter is, ‘Did this really happen?’,” McPhail said.

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional The entity of the film is built up in the audiences’ heads for a much longer time than they actually get to see the scary figure.

Much like a creepy pasta, the story starts as a myth and grows and grows before anything is ever really revealed.

This concept is a fantastic take on horror and brings the most modern ideas to the screen, which should be

refreshing from the remixed ideas of old.

The story does try to create a quick mythology for the entity and back story to bring a full fledged monster to life, but falls short of really getting the audience to care about anything other than the trolling that happens from Adam’s following on social media and the manner in which Dear David comes after Adam to trick him.

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional Small instances of supernatural elements are incorporated, then it seems as if the entity has some sort of telekinetic powers which find ways to be active in what at first can seem as a protective way, but quickly turn vengeful.

“I love this story and I love the internet, but [the internet] also terrifies me,” McPhail said.

“It’s so vast, there’s so many things, and so many places and in the darkest of places you

find humor as well. It’s the weirdest place.”

Being a film about a strange danger from the internet was always the idea behind what McPhail said he wanted to do with this film.

From the moment the internet gained popularity there have been different people warning about the many anticipated dangers that the internet and the many things that it can be used for.

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional While the film in many aspects is a horror or haunting story, there is much humor which eases the tension throughout.

The fantastic cast does a phenomenal job to bring in different aspects that help to elevate the movie in other ways than just making it scarier.

McPhail thinks there is some fun in horror, which is a part he really enjoys and loved to bring in those uncomfortable

chuckles as well.

The breaks from horror come in very distinct moments, they do not interfere with the joy of being frightened.

Getting the young actor to be one of the most frightful moments can be a difficult task as children do not get looked at as fearful, they get looked at as sweet or cute, but the youthful David always seems to come in to this story to create a wonderful tension.

Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional The more veteran cast also brings their own brilliance.

Andrea Bang, whom people may recognize from “Kim’s convenience,” has a wonderful best friend role which can be seen is somewhat innocent through all this, but brought some nice humor as well.

Justin Long does fantastic as well as he has for many films.

Augustus Prew, who plays Adam, has a way of being both pretentious and still be likable

throughout.

There is a charisma that is brought to this character that keeps the audience on his side.

“Dear David” is a wonderful modern horror that does not just recycle old tropes to inspire fear.

The story is creative and finds ways to use technology to inspire more fear.

“Dear David” will be out in select theaters, on deman, and on digital platforms October 13.

The Late YouTube.com/T

Written by Jesus @ThisFunktion

Find more interviews with incredible entertainment industry at YouTube.com everyone who has subscribed and helped subscriber milestone.

Producer Sarah Mann talks with Jesus Figueroa, @ThisFunktional of ThisFunktional.com, about adapting Van Helsing’s DRACULA to a Circus Dinner Experience, opening October 21.

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e people from all parts of the m/ThisFunktional. Thank you for d to get the channel to the 1,000

Director-Choreographer Luis Salgado talks with Jesus Figueroa, @ThisFunktional of ThisFunktional.com, about stage production ON YOUR FEET! THE STORY OF EMILIO AND GLORIA ESTEFAN, at the La Mirada

Writer Khadi Diouf talks with Jesus Figueroa, @ThisFunktional of ThisFunktional.com, about her career as a writer and helping to bring diversity with her projects.

ANGEL OF LIGHT puts a spotlight on fear Written by Jesus Figueroa @ThisFunktional “Angel of Light” captures attendees with a story which brings to life a haunting tale which uses the ambiance of the Historic Los Angeles Theatre to instill fear.

In "Angel of Light," the story unfolds in the early nineteenth century when a hexed girl, Rota Krisha, plagues a small rural village.

The villagers turn to Father Nicolai, a priest known for his “spiritual sound healing,” who discovers that s p e c i f i c structures elicit a binaural effect when singing or chanting is performed within them. Hoping to summon an angel to counter the evil presence, the villagers bring Rota into the a n c i e n t catacombs for a special ceremony.

However, it takes a dark turn when Satan himself is unleashed, wreaking havoc among those present.

The events unfold in a cataclysm of horror and chaos, but Rota Krisha manages to escape to America, where her life remains uneventful.

That is until she marries a sound engineer in Los Angeles.

The exterior of the Historic LA Theatre is the same as it has been, but stepping through the doors transports attendees to a theatre from a time past.

The catacombs of the theatre are pitch black for the most part and while the scare actors cannot touch attendees, their movement around attendees cause anxiety and many a jump scare.

Actors roam around playing roles to further immerse attendees into the experience.

The actors interact with attendees from beginning to end.

While the actors tend to act

as normal employees for the most part, paying attention to them lead to seeing them have ticks where they begin to act bizarre.

The small break in the middle of the maze allows attendees to grab a bite or a drink before continuing on.

The theater is gorgeous and lit to capture the attention with beautiful vintage decor.

The wait time is full of entertainment with the actors interacting.

The experience is set in the 1930s as guests are transported back to the Hollywood Golden Age and find themselves at the Los A n g e l e s Theatre to see Rota K. Preston’s debut vocal performance.

Unbeknownst to the

audience, the ancient Angel of Light curse is revived that evening – and attendees will relive the chaotic and unsettling tale through the combination of live performances, elaborate sets, and ornate artistry.

The experience uses advanced technology to take those who dare deep into the past, including the power of Dolby Atmos sound, projection mapping, shifting light and music, and power strobe lights.

The use of sound, at sometimes lack of sound to intensify the whispers or grunts of the characters located throughout the experience.

“Angel of Light” experience is a prequel to upcoming movie “Hex,” set to be released as part of Parma Pictures anthology series in 2025.

For more info: AngelOfLight.Live

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