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Last Updated: 22 June 2005
Richard costars with Vivian Wu in "Shanghai
Red," a feature film now shooting in Shanghai, China
Chances are good for Richard's Karl Mayer to
return to "Desperate Housewives" in the Fall
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation"
gets the MST3K treatment on Encore Action Channel
Sci Fi Channel to air Joss Whedon's "Firefly"
in July as part of Friday night lineup; Richard guests in "The Message"
Latest news on Richard's completed feature films:
20th Century Fox completes filming of all 13 "Point
Pleasant" episodes; complete season now airing in Sweden
Keep an eye on The USA Network for Richard's
episodes of "The District"
Catch Richard's "Judging Amy" episodes on TNT's
"Primetime in the Daytime" and on the Hallmark Channel
Got a Burgi fan on your gift list? Amazon.com
has you covered!
Write to Richard through the RBFC
** To refer back to earlier News pages, visit
our Archive Page and select the appropriate quarterly listing **
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[22 Jun 05] *** Richard goes
to Shanghai to film "Shanghai Red"*** -- Richard is now in Shanghai,
China, where he will be working for the next 6-8 weeks on "Shanghai
Red," a feature film from MARdeORO Films and Shanghai Film
Studios.
Written, directed, and produced by Oscar Luis Costo, the film
stars Vivian Wu ("Pillowbook," "A Bright Shining Lie," "8 1/2 Women,"
"The Joy Luck Club") as Meili Zhu and Richard Burgi as Michael Johnson.
They are joined by Ge You ("Farewell My Concubine," "To Live," "A
World Without Thieves"), Roger Yuan ("Shanghai Noon," "Vanishing
Son," "Bulletproof Monk"), and Sun Honglei ("Zhou Yu's Train").
Writer and director Oscar Costo graciously shared a description
of "Shanghai Red" with us:
"'Shanghai Red' is a dramatic film about the journey of a young,
modern Shanghai mother Meili Zhu (Vivian Wu) who suffers the loss of her
husband and how she comes to terms with her state of depression. In her
murderous journey of revenge, Meili meets Michael Johnson (Richard Burgi),
an expatriate American from Chicago escaping his own dark past. Even though
Michael's motives for being with Meili are originally laced with deception,
he ultimately finds hope, love and honor through her."
"Shanghai Red" was borne out of Vivian Wu's desire to craft a series
of films based in her beloved hometown and featuring modern Shanghai women,
and to make the films -- and Shanghai -- accessible to an international
audience by including well-known and respected Western actors, directors,
and cinematographers.
"I am planning to introduce some top Hollywood filmmakers to my hometown
and, in particular, I want them to make a series of movies portaying
modern 'Shanghai Ladies,'" Wu told the Shanghai Daily News. "The
film 'Shanghai Red,' which will start shooting soon, is just the first
step."
"I love Shanghai so much that I will try my best to promote the stunning
culture and fashions of this dynamic city to the world," Wu added.
"Shanghai Red," which was written by Wu's husband, Oscar Costo, is their
first chance to work together on a film. It's also something of a love
letter from Costo to Wu. "I wanted to create a role out of my heart
for her," Costo told writer Adam Minter. "Because with all of the
roles that she's done, I really believe that she's never been pushed to
the limit as an actor."
(Thanks to Jude for the initial heads up, to Richard for confirmation,
to Oscar Costo for the terrific intro to the story and characters, and
to Deborah, JoAnn and MJ, our search engine Maestras) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** Look for Richard's
Karl Mayer to return to Wisteria Lane in the Fall *** -- Richard plays
Karl
Mayer, Susan (Teri Hatcher) Mayer's jerk of an ex-husband on
ABC's
blockbuster hit Desperate Housewives. Previously seen in "Pretty
Little Picture" and "Move On," Karl was back to bedevil his ex in "One
Wonderful Day," the highly-anticipated season finale. It seems likely his
inclusion in the finale served to reintroduce Karl to viewers, which would
seem to bode well for additional appearances in the new season.
Interestingly, a recent news blurb mentioned Desperate Housewives creator
Marc
Cherry's intention to make a prequel episode detailing the early days
of the Housewives and their families on Wisteria Lane. "I would love
to do an episode showing the day when all the women moved on to Wisteria
Lane. I would want everyone back," said Cherry.
Nicolette Sheridan, who plays neighborhood vamp Edie Britt,
also made an intriguing comment during Entertainment Tonight's coverage
of the ABC up-fronts in New York. When asked about the rumor that next
season would see Edie doing something to Susan, Sheridan told the reporter
that Edie would have an affair with someone near and dear to Susan's heart.
As it seems unlikely that Mike (Jamie Denton) Delfino would two-time
Susan with Edie, Karl is the most logical candidate.
Interested in buying the first season of Desperate Housewives on
DVD? While the Season One box set won't be available in stores until
its September 20th release date, the DVD set is available for pre-order
at Amazon.com. Currently the discounted pre-order price is $38.99.
(For reference purposes, the ASIN number for the DVD set is B00079FUI6).
To learn more about the show, visit the "Desperate
Housewives" page at the ABC website.
(Thanks to Deborah for the info, and to Danny for the screengrabs) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** Catch Richard
when "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation" gets the MST3K treatment
on Premium Cable's Encore Action Channel this week *** -- While the
Starz
Channel will air "Starship Troopers 2" at 10:45pm ET on Thursday,
June 23rd, the Encore Action Channel airing at 4:40pm ET
on Saturday, June 25th will steal the show.
Encore is leading into the June 29th theatrical premiere of Steven
Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" with an "Alien Invasion" movie marathon.
The marathon will be hosted by "The Film Crew," better known to
TV viewers as the Mystery Science Theater 3000 guys, and undoubtedly
the highlight of the marathon will be the MST3K-style commentary running
between the movies themselves. "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation"
will get its turn on the hot-seat at 4:40pm ET on Saturday, June 25th.
Richard
plays Captain V.J. Dax, the hero mentioned in the film's title.
When we -- and the besieged troopers -- first meet Captain Dax,
he is the last man at an otherwise abandoned and desolate outpost on planet
Zulu Angel. Disgraced and imprisoned in the outpost's incinerator for killing
his commanding officer, he is somewhat the worse for wear -- dirty, torn,
unshaven, and more than a little war-weary. When the rapacious arachnids
threaten to once again overrun the makeshift defenses of the old outpost,
Dax is called upon to rally the rag-tag band of Troopers to fend off the
marauding Bugs. Unfortunately for Dax and the Troopers, the arachnids have
other things in mind for the unsuspecting humans...
(Thanks to MJ for the ST2 heads up and the news of the MST3K-ing,
and to Danny for the ST2 screengrabs) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** Catch Richard
in "the Message" when Firefly joins the Sci Fi Channel's Friday night lineup
-- Fridays at 7:00pm ET, starting July 22nd *** -- According
to a recent news update at www.thefutoncritic.com, the Sci Fi
Channel has secured rerun rights to all fifteen episodes of Firefly,
Joss
Whedon's short-lived "Western in space." Sci Fi will incorporate Firefly
into its Friday night lineup, where it will serve as the lead-in to Sci
Fi's popular Stargate: SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar
Galactica, all of which begin their new season in July. Sci Fi will
debut Firefly on Friday, July 22nd at 7:00pm ET.
Richard Burgi appears as Lt. Womack in "The Message."
Written by executive producers Joss Whedon and Tim Minear,
and filmed in mid-December 2002, "The Message" was one of the last of 15
episodes ordered by FOX, and the last episode filmed. According to a brief
description of the episode, "the crew must deliver the corpse of an
old war comrade home, but things are not as they seem."
The script had this to say of Alliance Enforcement officer Womack: "He's
been around the block, and likely beaten up everybody on it."
Womack was intended to be a recurring character -- a shady lawman who would
undoubtedly cross paths with the Serenity at the most inconvenient times.
Axed by the FOX Network with the final three or four episodes of its
15-episode first season still unaired, Firefly quickly built on its cult
status as it aired in syndication in international markets. When the series
was released as a boxed DVD set, it did brisk business, further building
the show's popularity and encouraging Universal to green-light Whedon's
feature film version of the series, "Serenity," which is due in
theaters later this year.
(Thanks to Debbie for the heads up, and to Becky and Earthgrazer
for the screengrabs) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** New trailer
for "In Her Shoes" now playing in theaters nationwide at various online
sites, and Richard Burgi's in it! *** -- With the revised October
7th premiere date drawing ever closer, trailers for the film are
turning up online at Yahoo,
at the Apple
website, and at the local cineplex, currently attached to "Mr. &
Mrs. Smith" and "Bewitched." Richard is featured in the trailer
in a scene with Cameron Diaz. Jim Danvers (Richard) knocks on the
door of girlfriend Rose's
(Toni Collette) apartment, only to be
met by her sister Maggie (Diaz). Jim, easy prey to temptation, is unable
to resist ogling the half-dressed Maggie.
"In Her Shoes" stars
Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley
MacLaine. Richard joined the cast in February '04 and "wrapped out"
in mid April with some location scenes in Philadelphia. Richard plays
Jim
Danvers, one of Rose's (Collette) love interests. According to
the character breakdown, Danvers is "a handsome, suave attorney at the
law firm of Lewis, Dommel and Fenick. He's also a cold-hearted ladies man
who dumps women without thinking twice."
Based on the Jennifer Weiner book of the same title, "In Her
Shoes" was screenwritten by Susannah Grant and is directed by Curtis
Hanson. Rebecca Klein, writing for The
Action Insider, gives this brief description of the film's premise:
"This feature film from Fox 2000 will star Cameron Diaz as Maggie
Feller, a free-spirited but immature party girl who dreams of stardom.
She moves in with her career-oriented older sister Rose after getting evicted
from her own apartment. Sibling rivalry follows when Rose kicks Maggie
out after she trashes the apartment and sleeps with Rose's boyfriend."
One of the reasons given for the shift in premiere dates from April
to October was that it better positions the film for Oscar consideration,
a decision in tune with Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine's
assessment. "That's the one," she said in the April 29 & May
6 issue of Entertainment Weekly. "That's the one that might be
Oscar material." MacLaine plays Ella Hirsch, Maggie and Rose's long-lost
grandmother.
To learn more about "In Her Shoes," visit author Jennifer Weiner's website
at http://www.jenniferweiner.com/
Production details on "In Her Shoes" can be found at the IMDb website
at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/
(Thanks to Richard, Kat, and Deborah for the information and the
subsequent sleuthing, and to MJ and Deborah for the screengrabs) |
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[22 Jun 05] ***
"Fun with Dick and Jane" trailers now playing online and in your local
cineplex *** -- Trailers for "Fun with Dick and Jane" are now appearing
in cinemas across the country (seen thus far in showings of "Bewitched")
and at various online sources. Richard appears in two scenes as the Harper's
next door neighbor, Joe.
The trailer can be viewed at the Moviefone website in
several formats, including QuickTime and AOL Player. The URL is:
http://movies.aol.com/franchise/exclusives/fun_with_dick_and_jane_movie
** Premiere now scheduled for December '05 ** -- According to
an article issued by Reuters.com, the premiere of "Fun with Dick
and Jane" has been pushed back to December 21st to give the producers more
more time to complete the film. Sony's Jeff Blake told Reuters that
they were having to rush to meet the original June premiere date, which
made the Christmas holidays the best alternative.
Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni headline this update of the 1977
original, which starred Jane Fonda and George Segal. Carrey
and Leoni play Dick and Jane Harper, a couple who find themselves
on the verge of financial collapse when Dick loses his job. The Harpers
turn to a life of crime to pay the bills, apparently preying on their wealthy
neighbors and friends.
Richard Burgi, who worked on the film for five weeks, plays neighbor
Joe Klieman (spelling uncertain).
The production began principal photography in Los Angeles in early
September '04, with outdoor "neighborhood" location work taking place on
the Rancho Palos Verdes, CA shoreline. The film also did considerable location
work across Los Angeles before wrapping principal photography in early
2005. According to the www.imdb.com listing, "Fun with Dick and Jane" is
now complete.
(Thanks to Richard and Kat for the initial info and to Deborah for
the online sleuthing) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** 20th Century
Fox Television completes filming of 13-episode Point Pleasant order ***
--
Although the FOX Network officially cancelled the struggling supernatural
drama as of March 24th (with the March 17th episode being the last one
aired), 20th Century Fox decided to compete the 13-episode order. April
14th was the last day of filming for Point Pleasant.
Completing the production run allows 20th Century Fox to honor its international
broadcast contracts (the show is presently airing in Sweden on TV3, where
they are now running the episodes left unaired by FOX) and to offer a complete
DVD package to the Home Video market. Series executive producer Marti
Noxon advised fans to contact FOX and express interest in and desire
for a DVD set.
"If you feel inclined you can bug Fox studios to issue the
season on DVD," said Noxon. "I know they are thinking about it -
and you'd get to see all the "lost" eps, which will be airing overseas."
A good starting place would probably be the 20th Century Fox website
-- http://www.foxhome.com -- with
http://www.foxtvdvd.com
being a good alternate.
"Snail Mail" is often considered to be the most effective outreach method,
and at this point, the actual production arm is the most likely candidate.
As Point Pleasant is a 20th Century Fox Television Production,
the following address is probably most appropriate:
20TH CENTURY FOX HOME VIDEO
P.O. Box 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900
As there is the slimmest possibility that FOX may decide to air the
remaining episodes as summer filler, the FOX network email address may
come in handy: askfox@foxinc.com
Point Pleasant went into production in November '04 at the San
Diego studios of Stu Segall Productions with a 13-episode order
and wrapped production on April 14th 2005 .
Episodes and US broadcast status:
"Pilot" (premiere part 1) -- aired 19 Jan
"Human Nature" (premiere part 2) -- aired 20 Jan
"Who's Your Daddy?" -- aired 27 Jan
"The Lonely Hunter" -- aired 03 Feb
"Last Dance" -- aired 10 Feb
"Secrets and Lies" -- aired 17 Feb
"Unraveling" -- aired 10 Mar
"Swimming With Boyd" -- aired 17 Mar
"Waking The Dead" -- unaired in US
"Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Choked" -- unaired in US
"Missing" -- unaired in US
"Mother's Day" -- unaired in US
"Family Style" -- unaired in US
(Thanks to Kat and Deborah for info on "Point Pleasant," and to Becky
and Danny for the screengrabs) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** Richard's episodes
of "The District" airing in repeats on the USA Network*** --
With CBS having dropped "The District" from the Fall 2004
schedule, the USA Network has picked the show up for syndicated
broadcast.
USA is currently airing the show in two-episode blocks on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:00am and 12:00 noon, with additional
airings at 6:00pm throughout the week. Remember to check your local
listings or the USA Networks website
for scheduling information.
Richard's episodes of The District are:
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"Worst Block" episode #1.03, prod. #102
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"Surveillance" episode #1.04, prod. #103
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"How They Lived" episode #1.06, prod. #105
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"The Santa Wars" episode #1.10, prod. #110
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"The D.C. Strangler" episode #1.11, prod. #109
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"The Agony and the Ecstasy" episode #1.19, prod. #119
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"Running Towards Fire" episode #1.20, prod. #117
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"The Second Man" episode #3.07, prod. #307
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"Good-bye, Jenny" episode #3.11, prod. #311
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"Jack's Back" episode #4.01, prod. #401
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"Blind Eye" episode #4.06, prod. #405
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"In God We Trust" episode #4.09, prod. #409
Visit the USA Network site for additional information:
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/thedistrict/
Richard appeared in three of the show's four seasons in a total
of twelve episodes, playing the recurring role of the prickly and suspicious
Captain
Vincent Hunter, head of the DC Police Department's Internal Affairs
Division.
Unfortunately, the show did not take maximum advantage of the Hunter
character, though they established an intriguing back-story for him in
the first season episode "The DC Strangler." Ella Farmer (played by
the late Lynn Thigpen) told Chief Mannion (Craig T. Nelson)
a bit about Hunter. He was a highly-decorated officer with a relatively
high solve rate while in Homicide, a department he left after discovering
his wife -- also a police officer -- in bed with his partner..
A complete listing of Richard's episodes of "The District" can
be found on the Biography page, with
an expanded listing and episode details on the District
Guide page.
(Thanks to Debbie for the USA info, Becky and Erin for the District
screengrabs, and to the Epguides website for production details) |
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[22 Jun 05] *** Look for
Richard's episodes of Judging Amy on TNT's "Primetime in the Daytime" and
on the Hallmark Channel ***-- Richard appeared in six episodes
of the recently canceled CBS Primetime drama, playing Judge Amy (Amy
Brenneman) Grey's ex-husband, Michael Cassidy. While Michael
had not been seen since "Marry, Marry Quite Contrary," he retained joint
custody of their daughter Lauren (Karle Warren) and still had feelings
for Amy.
Viewers have a chance to catch up on Richard's episodes on TNT's
"Primetime in the Daytime," where "Judging Amy" airs Monday - Friday
at 12:00noon and 1:00pm ET/PT, or on The Hallmark Channel,
where "Judging Amy" airs at varying times in the afternoon and evening
Monday
- Friday. Richard's episodes, in original order, are:
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"The Justice League of America"
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"Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition"
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"Lost in the System"
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"People of the Lie"
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"The Best Interests of the Child"
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"Marry, Marry Quite Contrary"
Visit the TNT and Hallmark websites for further information, and check
your local listings, as well as the TVNow website.
TNT's website -- http://www.tnt.tv/
Hallmark's website -- www.hallmarkchannel.com
TVNow listing -- www.tv-now.com/
(Thanks to Becky and Erin for the District screengrabs, and to the
Epguides website for production details) |
[22 Jun 05]*** Check out the Burgi Bonanza
at amazon.com *** -- All the items listed below are available at either
amazon.com or its subsidiary, amazon.ca, and all feature Richard Burgi
in some capacity. **NOTE** Always verify the current prices at Amazon.com,
as they do fluctuate with market forces.
Your amazon.com account information will work equally well with the
Canadian subsidiary.
Amazon in the USA: http://www.amazon.com/
Amazon in Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/
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Desperate Housewives - The Complete First Season (2004) DVD Set
-- $38.99 (35% discount)
Release date: September 20, 2005. Now available for pre-order.
ASIN: B00079FU16
Richard appears in 3 episodes of the first season of ABC's blockbuster
satirical drama series. The third episode introduces him as Karl Mayer,
flaky midlife-crisis-ing ex-husband of Susan (Teri Hatcher) Mayer. Karl
remains a part of Susan's life as the father of their teenage daughter,
and pops up to bedevil Susan at the most inopportune times.
Both the series and Teri Hatcher earned Golden Globes for this season. |
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24 Season One (2002) DVD Set -- $41.99 (30% discount)
ASIN: B00005JLF2
Richard appears in 12 episodes of the first season of FOX's ground-
and record-breaking drama series. The first episode introduces him as Alan
York, concerned father of a missing daughter. As the series unfolds, we
discover Alan is not who he appears -- he is, in fact, Kevin Carroll, a
cold-blooded assassin and mercenary.
The series and series lead Kiefer Sutherland would go on to earn Golden
Globes for this season. |
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Books on 24 (both mention Richard's character)
1) 24: The House Subcommittee's Findings at CTU by Marc Cerasini
and Alice Alfonsi -- $11.53 (30% discount)
ISBN: 0060535504
This book is set within the world of 24, providing background information
on the characters involved in the unfolding story
2) 24: The Unofficial Guide by Jim Sangster -- $69.70
ISBN: 1843570343
A more traditional approach to the series guide -- episode listings,
production details, et cetera (now out of print) |
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation- The Complete Third Season on DVD
-- $67.49 (25% discount)
ASIN: B0001906X6
Richard appears in the episode "High and Low" as paragliding instructor
Rick Weston. (Trivia note: "Starship Troopers 2" costar Colleen Porch also
appears in "High and Low").
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Cellular (2004) DVD, Widescreen, Region 1 encoding -- $22.38
(20% discount)
ASIN: B0006D3HGA
Richard plays Craig Martin, husband of Kim Basinger's Jessica Martin.
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1) Cellular (novelization by Pat Cadigan) -- $7.99
ISBN: 1844161048
2) Cellular (Score) [SOUNDTRACK] -- $16.98
ASIN: B00049QLC8
The novelization will be an interesting read, especially if it delves
a little deeper into the character of Craig Martin (Richard's role in "Cellular")
"Cellular" is now available on DVD. The film lived up to expectations
in theaters worldwide after premiering on September 10th 2004.
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Decoys (2004) DVD [US market version] -- $22.46 (10% discount)
ASIN: B0002J4X3O
Richard plays Detective Francis Kirk in this tongue-in-cheek take on
the "aliens need humans to reproduce" sci-fi theme. Director Matt Hastings
has described "Decoys" as a meeting of "American Pie" and "Species."
There are two versions of the DVD currently available. The US-market
version available through amazon.com does not include the deleted
scenes and bloopers included in the Canadian-market version (see next entry). |
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Canadian-market version from amazon.ca
Decoys (2004) DVD -- CDN $10.47 (30% discount)
ASIN: B00029QQRK
New release: 07 June 2005
The Canadian-market DVD includes an assortment of deleted scenes, the
bloopers, a "making of" special, and a photo gallery. The deleted scenes
help explain some aspects of the film which are confusing or vague in the
theatrical release, and Richard's scenes and bloopers are hilarious. |
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Firefly - The Complete Series (2002) DVD -- $34.99 (30% discount)
ASIN: B0000AQ50F
Richard appears in the episode "The Message" as Lt. Womack, an unscrupulous
Alliance Enforcement officer. Womack is after an old war buddy of Malcolm
and Zoe's and is quite determined to get what he's after.
Had the series continued, Womack would probably have become a recurring
character. |
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1) Starship Troopers 2 - Hero of the Federation (2004) DVD -- $10.46
(30% discount)
ASIN: B0001XAOQ6
New release: 07 July 2005
2) Starship Troopers 2 (Score) [SOUNDTRACK] -- $17.98
ASIN: B00028HOC2
Richard plays Captain V.J. Dax in "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the
Federation." The DVD includes the widescreen movie, a "making of" featurette
which includes interviews with the cast and behind the scenes footage,
a photo gallery, and look at the animation process.
The soundtrack CD presents the entire "Troopers 2" suite, which includes
the haunting Dax's Theme. |
[22 Jun 05] *** Write to Richard care of
the RBFC! *** -- Richard has asked us to encourage anyone interested in
sending cards or letters to him to use the RBFC mailing address, which
is listed below. This allows Richard to better handle
his incoming mail, which he certainly enjoys receiving, provided it comes
through appropriate channels.
Mr. Richard Burgi
RBFC
10153 1/2 Riverside Drive, #494
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
USA
We cannot emphasize strongly enough that mail should not be
sent to Richard's home address! Receiving fan mail through his
home address is a disquieting experience and cause for concern, especially
from the standpoint of privacy and safety. If you have come across
what you believe may be his home address, please, do NOT use it! We
-- and Richard -- would greatly appreciate it if you would let us
know where you came across the address by using this e-mail
link to the RBFC.
While postcards, letters, and cards will be promptly forwarded
to Richard, we cannot forward packages; he has asked that no gifts
be sent to him. Though Richard appreciates the goodwill and generosity
those gifts represent, he finds them a little overwhelming. Richard
would be honored if, instead, wellwishers made a donation in his name to
a local children's shelter or literacy program, or to the Pacific
Marine Mammal Center .
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