Irvin Kershner has died

Like Nielsen's death, Kershner's passing more or less brings up memories of times gone by.  As several of my posts suggest, I'm a person prone to bouts of nostalgia reflux.  I couldn't tell much about Kershner, except he directed the only Star Wars movie that I never saw in theatres.  Owing to family issues of the day, and a general growing away from the youthful frenzy of the halycon days of Star Wars mania, I just never got around to it.  The most I did was look through a comic that someone bought me, and decided I would see it the first chance I got.  That chance came years later with the advent of a snappy new invention called the home video recording system.  Since that time, The Empire Strikes Back has become my favorite of the series.  And rightly so.  George Lucas, a genius of storytelling and imagination, and no shake as a techno-geek, was nevertheless on the shaky side of directing.  His early attempts, American Graffiti and of course Star Wars, did well almost despite his directorial demands, rather than because of them.  This tendency is best revealed in that pile of cinematic excrement commonly known as 'the Prequels'.  Thankfully, for the much anticipated sequel to the - then - biggest blockbuster of all time, Lucas stepped aside and let Kershner take over. And the film was all the better for it.  Because the movie brings up memories of a time when the promise of a never ending Star Wars series was still ripe, and makes me remember a period just before the explosion of hormones that would take my mind to less space oriented topics, I have to say thank you Mr. Kershner.  You left me with a quality piece of art that I can enjoy time and again while thinking of pleasant times.