Robert Berkvist on the tragic death of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the New York Times:

Gene Hackman, who never fit the mold of a Hollywood movie star but became one all the same, playing seemingly ordinary characters with deceptive subtlety, intensity and often charm in some of the most noted films of the 1970s and '80s, has died, the authorities in New Mexico said on Thursday. He was 95.

Mr. Hackman and his wife were found dead on Wednesday afternoon at the home in Santa Fe., N.M., where they had been living, according to a statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department. The cause of death was unclear and under investigation. Sheriff's deputies found the bodies of Mr. Hackman; his wife, Betsy Arakawa; and a dog, according to the statement, which said that foul play was not suspected.

It’s one level of grief when a celebrity with the stature of Gene Hackman dies. It’s even more tragic when a loved one dies too.

When I learned of Hackman’s death, two movies came immediately to mind: Superman^[1] and Enemy of the State. Probably not the first two films most people think of, but I came late to most of his work.

Hackman, it turns out, was a significant part of my classic films self-education—movies released “before my time”—but I didn’t realize as I watched them that they were Hackman classics; they were just classics: The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, even Young Frankenstein (which, until now, I never realized he was in).

(I saw The Royal Tenenbaums, but that movie occupies the “WTF did I just watch” spot in my brain, so I don’t recall most of it.)

Most of his other iconic movies—Bonnie and Clyde, Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning—remain on my “to watch” list.

That list will be getting a workout over the next few weeks.

I’m nostalgically inclined to like this trailer: Growing up, I was a huge fan of The Fantastic 4 (especially the 1967 animated series—in reruns, thank you very much!). I was especially fond of Johnny “Human Torch” Storm and his catchphrase “Flame on!”. I would doodle him in my notebooks (very elementary stuff, mind you; basically stacks of rectangles representing a body, arms, and legs, in red marker). I’m definitely digging the aesthetic here—the retro-’60s-high-tech vibe works for me—and the soundtrack is, well, fantastic. I’m excited.

Moody visuals, classic animation style, and a stellar voice cast. From Bruce Timm (creator of the multi-Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series), J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves. Set, seemingly, in an alt-’40s, with a familiar rogues’ gallery: Catwoman, Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Harley Quinn, Penguin, and more. On Amazon Prime Video, of all places.