Irvin Kershner, R.I.P.

Irvin Kershner’s direction of Episode V of the Star Wars Saga: The Empire Strikes Back was a masterwork in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre that will likely never be topped in terms of sheer cultural influence.

He also did a remarkable job with Sean Connery when they remade one of Connery’s earlier James Bond films, Thunderball, in 1983’s Never Say Never Again. It wasn’t a cultural landmark as Empire Strikes Back was, but his use of video games in a pivotal scene between Bond and his Antagonist, is fun.