Gene Hackman may be happily retired, but the same can’t be said for your trusty hosts. We’re still breaking down three movies a pop, and this week, we celebrate the all-time great actor’s 89th birthday by looking at three of his iconic villain/antagonist roles: “Superman: The Movie” (1978), “Unforgiven” (1992) and “The Firm” (1993).

Be Reel is part of The Playlist Podcast Network – which includes Adjust Your Tracking, Over/Under Movies, Indie Beat, and more – and can be listened to on iTunes, Soundcloud, or Stitcher. The podcast is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ MFA in Writing program and Converse College’s Low-Residency MFA. Explore their programs at the links above!