Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner dies

BBC ^ | 29 November 2010

[Borges]

According to Adriana Santini, Kershner - who also directed Sir Sean Connery in 1983 Bond film Never Say Never Again - died at home after a long illness.

Born in Philadelphia in 1923, Kershner trained as a musician before making documentaries and then features.

His other credits include Robocop 2 and Eyes of Laura Mars with Faye Dunaway.

Known as "Kersh", the director previously worked with Connery on 1996 romantic drama A Fine Madness.

[EveningStar]

The best of the star wars series.

That might be because someone other than Lucas directed it (Kershner) and wrote the final screenplay (Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan).

[GOPsterinMA]

For sure. Plus it was a good way for Connery to end the role, as “Diamonds Are Forever” was the weakest of the Bonds he was in, IMHO.

Yes, pretty much it was, especially in 1983 when we had “Never Say Never Again” up against the putrid “Octopussy”. No contest, Connery by a knockout.

[Borges]

Wiki:

The exact role which Brackett played in writing the script for Empire is the subject of some dispute. What is agreed on by all is that George Lucas asked Brackett to write the screenplay based on his story outline. It is also known that Brackett wrote a finished first draft which was delivered to Lucas shortly before Brackett's death from cancer on March 18, 1978. Two drafts of a new screenplay were written by Lucas and, following the delivery of the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark, turned over to Lawrence Kasdan for a new approach. Both Brackett and Kasdan (though not Lucas) were given credit for the final script. Many reviewers believed that they could detect traces of Brackett's influence in both the dialogue and the treatment of the space opera genre in Empire. However, Laurent Bouzereau, in his book Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, states that Lucas disliked the direction of Brackett's screenplay and discarded it. He then produced two screenplays before turning the results over to Kasdan, who did not work directly with Brackett's script at all. It is speculation if Lucas' assignment of credit to Brackett was a mere courtesy, a mark of respect for the work she had done during her illness, or a contractual obligation. Support for the latter view comes from Stephen Haffner, owner of the press that printed Martian Quest: The Early Brackett, who has read Brackett's script, and claims that—outside Lucas' storyline—nothing of Brackett's personal contributions survives in the finished movie. Brackett's screenplay has never been officially or legally published. According to Haffner, it can be read at one of two locations: 1) the library of the Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico, but may not be copied or borrowed off-site; and 2) the archives at Lucasfilm, Ltd. in California.

[mowowie]

Yes, I watched Empire Strikes Back on Spike yesterday afternoon.

Good Stuff!
I even caught a few things i missed the last 20 times i saw it.

RIP “Kersh”.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Always wondered if you cut a Sith in half do you end up with two thirths?

[Mannaggia l'America]

Just watched ESB this weekend. I agree, the best of the series, though for me I needed Return of the Jedi to make me realize how good it was.

I though the best part of ESB was the training with Yoda.

"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." -- Yoda

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

...three more chapters will never be filmed.

Ah, but they will.

They were originally intended to be "The Further Adventures of Luke, Leia and Han" or some such.

George Lucas has said outright that he will make no more Star Wars films but would certainly allow the remaining 3 to be made when the right story and director comes along. I may never live to see them but Episodes 7, 8 and 9 will be filmed.

[Erasmus]

Yaphet Kotto was pretty scary, in a mysteriously covert way, as Idi Amin.

[Erasmus]

No; two twefths.

[hoyt-clagwell]

Off subject but the aliens in the Star Wars movies always appear fake/hoakey to me. My wife thinks that was done on purpose to kinda play with the 1950’s style movie campiness.

Aliens in much less budget movies appear more real.

Thoughts??

[EveningStar]

I slap myself in the head.

[a fool in paradise]

Brackett's screenplay has never been officially or legally published. According to Haffner, it can be read at one of two locations: 1) the library of the Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico, but may not be copied or borrowed off-site; and 2) the archives at Lucasfilm, Ltd. in California.

This sounds like a job for Sandy Berger and wikileaks.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP. Enjoyed his work.

[Rummyfan]

The Empire Strikes Back was the best of the entire STAR WARS saga. Rip Mr Kirshner.

[Impy]

RIP

Lucas should have retained his services for the prequels.

It wouldn’t have helped the crap screenplays any but at least some non-craptastic directing would have made the movies less lame.

I mean really, imagine Lucas on the set “That was great Hayden, cut and print”. Was he high?

[GOPsterinMA]

Exactly - Irwin or whoever could have done a much, much better job.

IMO, the skills of a true actor, Ian McDiarmid saved the prequels, especially ROTS. He should have got an Oscar nod for that film.