Irvin Kershner

Directing

Irvin Kershner

Born April 29, 1923 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Died November 27, 2010 · aged 87

Irvin Kershner (born Isadore Kershner; April 29, 1923 – November 27, 2010) was an American director for film and television. Early in his career as a filmmaker he directed quirky, independent drama films, while working as a lecturer at the University of Southern California. Later, he began making high-budget blockbusters such as Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the James Bond adaptation Never S…

Known For

The Empire Strikes BackThe Empire Strikes Back · 1980
The Empire Strikes Back
8.41980
MovieAdventureAction
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
Never Say Never AgainNever Say Never Again · 1983
Never Say Never Again
6.11983
MovieAdventureAction
James Bond returns as the secret agent 007 to battle the evil organization SPECTRE. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail. But Bond has an ally in Largo's girlfriend, the willowy Domino, who falls for Bond and seeks revenge.
The Last Temptation of ChristThe Last Temptation of Christ · 1988
The Last Temptation of Christ
7.21988
MovieDrama
Jesus, a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. The burden of being the savior of mankind torments Jesus throughout his life, leading him to doubt.
RoboCop 2RoboCop 2 · 1990
RoboCop 2
6.01990
MovieActionScience Fiction
After a successful deployment of the RoboCop Law Enforcement unit, OCP sees its goal of urban pacification come closer and closer, but as this develops, a new narcotic known as "Nuke" invades the streets led by God-delirious leader Cane. As this menace grows, it may prove to be too much for Murphy to handle. OCP tries to replicate the success of the first unit, but ends up with failed prototypes with suicidal issues... until Dr. Faxx, a scientist straying away from OCP's path, uses Cane as the new subject for the RoboCop 2 project, a living God.
BadlandsBadlands · 1974
Badlands
7.51974
MovieDramaRomance
An impressionable teenage girl from a dead-end town and her older greaser boyfriend embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota badlands.
On Deadly GroundOn Deadly Ground · 1994
On Deadly Ground
5.21994
MovieActionAdventure
Forrest Taft is an environmental agent who works for the Aegis Oil Company in Alaska. Aegis Oil's corrupt CEO is the kind of person who doesn't care whether or not oil spills into the ocean or onto the land—just as long as it's making money for him.
Eyes of Laura MarsEyes of Laura Mars · 1978
Eyes of Laura Mars
5.81978
MovieMysteryThriller
A famous fashion photographer develops a disturbing ability to see through the eyes of a serial killer.
Up the SandboxUp the Sandbox · 1972
Up the Sandbox
5.91972
MovieComedyDrama
Bored with day-to-day life in New York City and neglected by her husband, a young wife and mother slips into increasingly outrageous fantasies: her mother breaking into the apartment, an explorer's demonstration of tribal fertility music at a party causing strange transformations, and joining terrorists to plant explosives in the Statue of Liberty.

Filmography

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American PerfektAmerican Perfekt · 1997
American Perfekt
6.51997
MovieThrillerDrama
Criminal psychiatrist, Jake Nyman is taking a much needed vacation from responsibility. An experimental road trip during which ever decision will be made on a flip of a coin. Meanwhile, Sandra Thomas, disenchanted professional, is en route to pick up her flunked out sister, Alice, at a cheap motel before continuing on to visit their ailing mother. After being forced off the road by a mysterious assailant, however, Sandra is picked up by Jake, who's coin flipping amoral attitude quickly excites her own desire to break a few rules. Or worse. Jake and Sandra's romance is soon driven by chance acts of crime and kindness, all governed by the flip of a coin - at least until Sandra mysteriously disappears and Jake unwittingly picks up her suspicious sister, Alice ...

Producer

The Flim-Flam ManThe Flim-Flam Man · 1967
The Flim-Flam Man
7.01967
MovieComedyCrime
Mordecai Jones, a silver-tongued swindler and self-proclaimed “M.B.S., C.S., D.D.—Master of Back-Stabbing, Cork-Screwing and Double-Dealing,” has made a career out of charming and cheating his way through life. Played with devilish charm by George C. Scott, Jones takes on a new protégé in Curley, a wide-eyed Army deserter eager for direction. Together, they crisscross the backroads of the rural South, pulling off a string of homespun cons while staying one step ahead of a relentless local sheriff. Along the way, Curley falls for Bonnie Lee Packard, a rebellious heiress who joins their misadventures. But as the scams grow riskier, Curley begins to wonder whether a life of flimflam is worth the price. With its colorful characters, offbeat humor, and standout performance by Scott, The Flim-Flam Man is a rollicking Southern caper about cons, conscience, and unlikely camaraderie.

Director

Confidential File: Horror ComicsConfidential File: Horror Comics · 1955
Confidential File: Horror Comics
1955
MovieDocumentaryTV Movie
In 1954 the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency conducted an investigation into how the comic book industry was supposedly contributing to the moral decay of a nation's youth. The investigations were spurred on by a number of articles that blamed comics for the rise in juvenile delinquency in post-war America. Chief among the critics was Doctor Frederic Wertham, whose book, "Seduction of The Innocent" has been blamed for nearly single-handedly crippling the entire comics industry. "Confidential File" was aired in 1955, after the senate hearings and the formation of the Comics Code, but it serves as a perfect example of how the media reacted to the comic book industry, and sought a scape goat by blaming the comic book publications for society's own lack of responsibility in raising its children.

Director