GOODBYE, IRVIN KERSHNER

The late Irvin Kershner watches the filming of a scene in the Rebel Hangar bay for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, alongside off-camera actor John Ratzenberger as Major Derlin.

The sad, very sad, news has come in that top film director Irvin Kershner-the man who put such fantasy sparkle and dramatic intensity into the STAR WARS saga with his directorial work on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK-has sadly died today at the age of 87, and in the very year of the films Thirtieth Anniversary. Our greatest of condolences to his family and close friends for their loss, and his departure from us really is a major loss, not only to world cinema but to STAR WARS in general.

May the Force be with him...always!

Braving the Finse elements, Kershner directs Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca.

A true actors director, Kershner goes through a tense scene for Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

Kershner spends some quality time with Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew)

Trio of talent: Kershner with George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan.

UPDATE 30/11/2010: A links selection of additional features and tributes (with thanks to Chris Baker):

Irvin Kershner: Remembering The Empire Strikes Back - (From an interview w/ Dan Madsen - April 1, 1990):  http://www.starwars.com/hyperspace/member/insideronline/11/indexp2.html

More comments, thoughts articles & reactions from the Official Star Wars Blog:

http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2010/11/29/celeb-fans-celebrate-director-irvin-kershner/ 

 

Coppola, Streisand & Billy Dee pay tribute:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/11/29/obit.irvin.kershner/

WIRED MAGAZINE:  

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/11/farewell-to-empire-strikes-back-director-irvin-kershner/

 

MTV:

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/11/29/irvin-kershner-empire-strikes-back/