A couple of nerd icons, director Irvin Kershner And actor Leslie Nielsen, passed away over the long weekend. Kershner was best known for having directed one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, The Empire Strikes Back, where Nielsen's roles in the Airplane movies and the Naked Gun series forever assure his place among the funniest movie stars in film history.
Kershner died at his home in Paris at the age of 87, according to his goddaughter Adriana Santini. Nielsen was 84 when he passed in his Florida home due to complications arising from pneumonia.
Along with his more recent and well known comedic roles, Nielsen also played the captain in Forbidden Planet, a 1950s sci-fi movie that defined the genre for an entire generation, and influenced everything that came after, most notably, the Star Trek franchise. Please do not call him "Shirley."
Kershner recently said in an interview that he should have directed one of the Star Wars prequels. If this had happened, perhaps at least one of the most recent Star Wars movies wouldn't have been absolutely worthless trash.
We will miss both of these gargantuan talents and influential nerd-culture makers. Rest in peace.
Comments are Closed
Comments
Displaying 1–15 of 15
G4maniac14
Nielsen was seriously my favorite actor of all time...He will be missed. I loved all his movies and now that I knkow of forbidden planet I'm going to have to watch it in his memory!
DarkN'Stuff
OMG WHAT THE *&%$ IS WITH THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First my Uncle dies on Thanksgiving (No kidding...) and then i hear this. What the @#$%...
AntiquesRoadwarrior
First off, Star Wars Prequels could only suck more if they were in 3D.
This is the second white-haired Airplane! star to die this year (Peter Graves in March). Sigh...
I'm still in the camp of people who believe that the Leslie Neilsen look-a-like in The Pod People (See: MST3K) was, in fact, Leslie Neilsen. Not a moment I'd care to remember, but so was a lot of his career. Take the good with the bad, I suppose.
masterfenix
Surely had a great life
Fulgrim87
Gotta love G4 trashing star wars when they run jump and light themselves on fire when anything star related arises. Thanks for the opinion but I do not think anyone asked, try and stick with just the actual news next time.
DreamingDarklyRobin
This gives me an excuse to watch the Naked Gun for the millionth time. R.I.P. old guys
Chancegalaxy
Both great losses. Deaths usually happen in threes. I hope it is a Jersey Shore castmate and not someone else awesome.
CujoSWAoA
If you place the prequels up against actual good movies like the original 3 or the Lord of the Rings trilogy... Yes, the prequels then do shine as examples of horrible movie-making.
Does that mean no one in the world should like them and that you should feel guilty if you do? No....
Knight_of_Zer0
i could never understand why people hate the second Trilogy so much. Ep 1 was pretty lame, but the other 2 were cool. i grew up on the original Trilogy, but it's hardly the greatest thing ever to grace film.
oh, and i'd never heard of these 2 people before i saw this, so i can't really say that i'm saddened by their passing.
and what's up with the Ft. Lauderdale thing? does it really matter where they died?
stamatt45
I felt the world grow colder and darker when these men passed...
P.S. Nielsen died in his home in Ft. Lauderdale
EKG
"I just wanted to say good luck, we're all counting on you."
RIP
gambit1023
Kershner recently said in an interview that he should have directed one of the Star Wars prequels. If this had happened, perhaps at least one of the most recent Star Wars movies wouldn't have been absolutely worthless tras
This coming from the people who wet their pants at every new Halo or Call of Duty game that comes out. Granted the new prequels weren't that great but to call them worthless trash is crazy. Episode 3 was actually good. And I'd rather watch any of the prequels over 300 or Watchmen anyday.
BONERJAM
Nielsen was an all time great. He will be missed greatly.
Completist
G4 should have a Movies That Don't Suck block dedicated to these men. :(
Jak62
Nielsen died in his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
Displaying 1–15 of 15