Sad news today as it has been announced that director Irvin Kershner died. He directed Never Say Never Again and Robocop 2, but I know him best as the director of "My Favourite Movie Of All Time", also know as The Empire Strikes Back.
I consider myself lucky enough to have been around to see the Star Wars movies when they first appeared in cinemas and grew up watching them, reading the comics and of course playing with the toys. My favourite of the original three movies was always Empire.
Just recently I have been reading the 30th Anniversary The Making of the Empire Strikes Back book and it's crammed full of interviews with the cast and crew, conducted as the movie was being made. Throughout the book Kershner's contribution to the movie is clear.
The movie probably has such a following because it continues the original story instead of repeating it. The heroes get split up, Han gets captured and turned into an ice cube, Luke gets his hand cut off before Vader tells him something surprising. Plus Boba Fett. Plus the Battle of Hoth. Plus Yoda!
I could gush on for ages because that movie was such a pivotal part of my childhood.
Thanks Irvin.
