[caption id="attachment_175496" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Filmmakers Aaron Crocker and Justin Bridges plan to use backdrops in Fredericksburg and Stafford County for their psychological horror film, "Poison Tree."[/caption]

A pair of local filmmakers are preparing to shoot an independent horror movie in the Fredericksburg area.

669 Productions and JB Concepts are currently pre-production for their first full-length film, a horror movie entitled "Poison Tree." Filmmakers Aaron Crocker and Justin Bridges plan to use backdrops in Fredericksburg and Stafford County for their psychological horror film.

The pair plan to film at the newly rebuilt Chatham Bridge over Rappahannock River, linking Fredericksburg and Stafford, and George Washington's boyhood home, Ferry Farm.

According to Crocker, the film will be based on the William Blake poem "A Poison Tree," which was published in 1794. Crocker describes the film as a microscopic look at the problematic dynamics of a push-pull relationship. 

A brief story synopsis:

"Adam and Nichole Benson move to Fredericksburg to escape the friction of their past. However, when they make a tragic discovery in their new home, they are forced into a space where they must process their trauma and move forward or allow the darkness to take on an energy of its own."

In anticipation of the film, Crocker and Bridges have launched an online campaign called to raise $20,000. Through the campaign, the filmmakers also hope to foster community involvement in thier production.

"Our businesses were both established right here in Fredericksburg, and we're proud of our community, and we hope to highlight that fact in all that we do," said Crocker.

"Poison Tree" will be Crocker and Bridges' second collaboration. The duo produced a short horror film called "Slashed Ceilings" about a career woman who makes deadly decisions to get a promotion at work. The piece has attracted attention and earned awards, including Best Horror Short at the 2022 Awesome Film Festival and has been selected for this year's Bull City Run Film Festival and the Horrific Hope Festival. 

"Horror is a timeless conduit through which the 'tragic' and the 'awful' can not only be expressed but in some instances can become palatable in terms of working as not only an escape from our real-life horrors but also in the ways that the genre presents itself as a metaphor--often, the monsters and horror of real life are much more terrifying than the darkness lurking in closets and under beds. "

In March 2018, Bridges opened a photography business, JB Concepts, then moved into videography. Bridges started filming weddings and graduated to commercials and music videos. 

Crocker's company, 669 Productions, opened in 2021 to produce "Slashed Ceilings" and other films.

Fredericksburg and Stafford County have been a setting for many film and television productions. The most recent is the movies Loving (2016) and Dopesick (2021). Fredericksburg was also part of a hometown episode for season 23 of The Bachelor.

According to Margaret Finucane, Communications Manager for the Virginia Film Office, productions were shut down in early 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Key production organizations and leaders created strict set safety protocols that enabled them to ramp back up during Summer 2020. 

Many productions were key contributors to our hardest-hit industries, like hospitality and brick-and-mortar retail, when the economy was largely shut down. The economic impact of Virginia's film industry in 2020 was $648 million, creating nearly 4,000 full-time jobs, said Finucane.

"Poison Tree" has been in pre-production since December 2021 and plans to begin shooting in June 2022.

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[caption id="attachment_167810" align="aligncenter" width="640"] An artist rendering of the Mill at Occoquan.[/caption]

Occoquan will soon enact an amplified outdoor sound permit which will allow residents and businesses to play music for outdoor events. The licenses enable sound to be audible at 50 feet beyond a property.

The town will require businesses to renew permits annually. The cost of the license will be $100.

The town has set hours when amplified outdoor sound will be prohibited, between 10 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and between 8 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday to Thursday. The permit program is scheduled to launch in Spring 2022.

In other town news, officials want more information from the developer of The Mill at Occoquan. The building is designed to be a five-story building located on Mill Street on the waterfront.

The Mill would feature 52 apartments and 7,000 square feet of office space which includes space for a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Occoquan River. If The Mill is built, it would be the tallest and most prominent building in Occoquan.

An application for The Mill had been presented to the Architecture Review Board at its meeting on Sept. 28, 2021. The September meeting resulted in the board asking for more information from the applicant on a range of different topics concerning the project such as who would be in charge of maintaining planters boxes, the style of door for residential use and fire safety, placement of retail signage, and copper downspouts that were mentioned but weren't in the design.

The next meeting of the Occoquan Town Council is February 1 at the Occoquan Town Hall, at 314 Mill Street. When the Occoquan Town Council meetings were supposed to take place in January, they were canceled due to the recent snowstorms.

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A new mural adorns the side of the Potomac Science Center, next to the Occoquan River in Woodbridge.

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An actor from Manassas will appear in a new Christmas movie.

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This past Saturday, the Stafford County charity Jenkins Donelson Foundation held two events at the Stafford County Courthouse to help families in need for the holiday season.

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Want to see a show at the Hylton Performing Arts Center near Manassas?

In addition to your tickets, you’re going to need to show proof of coronavirus vaccination, show a photo ID that matches the vaccination card, and show a negative coronavirus test at the door.


It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a superhero with an accordion?

That satirical songwriting superhero Captain Ambivalent has left his fortress of nerditude in Valparaiso, Indiana to bring his brand of silly songs to Fredericksburg.

The good captain is coming off the release of his fourth album “Songs for Short Attention Spans” and will be playing at the Fredericksburg Recreation Center on William Street on September 28.

The captain, whose real name is, Dan Biemer, began his quest by trading in a 20-year career as a paralegal for a golden cape, a pair of sparkling boots, and an accordion which took him to such strange new worlds such as the Dr. Demento Radio Show, GenCon, and America’s Got Talent.

After receiving word about his upcoming appearance, Potomac Local News spoke with the good captain about his alter ego and what inspired him to be a comedy singing accordionist.

PLN: So what made you decide to go out on tour?

CA: This year I decided to branch out and do a tour, granted this was back in January when it was much safer but I’m still looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity and there’s some risk associated but I think it’s worth it.

PLN: Like any good superhero you must have an origin story, could you tell us that story?

CA: I needed to deal with a load of childhood trauma and I enjoyed writing funny songs but I couldn’t get a band. I had an accordion that I got from my great aunt and not everyone was doing it. I took on the identity of Captain Ambivalent and became your everyday, average superhero with an accordion.

PLN: What attracted you to the world of comedy music?

CA: From a pretty young age, I have liked musical comedians like Spike Jones which I got from my parents. So I leaned in that direction. I’ve tried to write other songs but my talents lay in funny songs.

PLN: What is it about the accordion that is attractive to not just comedy music, but people who write happy songs as well?

CA: The accordion is very common in French music, it produces very melancholy music, it’s portable, it’s easy to sing with, and the structure lends itself to an upbeat feel. It sounds bouncy which to me means happy. I have some slow songs but when I play it's pretty upbeat.

PLN: With the recent pandemic many musicians had to adapt to the situation when it comes to their performances, did you have to go through anything similar at that time?

CA: I quickly found out that my internet service was not good for live-streaming so I went hog wild on a one-man recorded show. I will also perform at the Keybank Rochester Fringe Festival in New York which will be from September 14 to October 9. The festival has both live and virtual performances. Aside from that, I tried to increase my skills, I got some online coaching on booking, social media, and just leveled up just leveling up my abilities.

PLN: What should people expect to see when they come to see you play?

CA: Be prepared to see a very imposing figure in sparkling gold boots and a cape with a shiny gold accordion, unlike anything you’ve experienced. Be prepared to have fun, hear some over-the-top, nerdy songs, and forget what’s going on in the world for a few minutes.

Captain Ambivalent will perform at the Fredericksburg Recreation Center at 213 William Street in Downtown Fredericksburg on Sept. 28 from 7 pm to 9 pm.





The Prince William County Police beat their Fairfax County counterparts 26 – 15 in a friendly game of softball in Woodbridge.

The first pitch was thrown shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Richard G. Pfitzner Stadium, the former home of the team now known as the Fredericksburg Nationals.


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