CLASSIC IMAGE: CARBON CONFLICT!

Within the smoke filled, heat fuelled scenario of the Bespin Carbon Freezing Chamber set at London's ELSTREE Studios, here's a terrific shot from EMPIRE of Mark Hamill showing his exhaustive sword fighting/training skills in action (Note the un-rotoscoped carbon rods attached to the lightsabers) against Darth Vader (presumably played by Bob Anderson, though Dave Prowse did do a small part of the epic action sequence), in what many fans still regard as the ultimate STAR WARS lightsaber duel of choreography and dramatic impetus.

CLASSIC IMAGE: GOODBYE, HAN SOLO!

Here's another great image from EMPIRE-this one showing the terrible time Chewbacca and Princess Leia have whilst watching Han Solo become carbonised. Its an evocative image-and one not always seen in its entirety (often cropped to focus just on Leia and Chewie when used in magazines during the period of EMPIRE's 1980 theatrical release)- and shows what an incredible set the Carbon Freezing chamber was during the filming in the summer of 1979-full of atmosphere, heat and steam, brilliantly lit by the UK lighting team and filmed with strong, but beautifully haunting cinematography by Peter Suschitzky.