Steve is an imaging and production deity at Dial. In his well-appointed studio, he’s got a nice plasma HD TV on which he plays the movie channels all day. Sound down, of course, because he’s producing bits of audio gold.

Every day, at least once or twice, I walk down to his studio to shoot the breeze, er, I mean brainstorm upcoming imaging pieces for the format I program.

So I’m standing there and looking up at his TV, on which is playing a movie I’ve been waiting to see for about a year now. I won’t tell you what the name of it is, but it’s a much celebrated flick that got lots of critical acclaim and was near the top of movies I had to make sure I saw. I had scrupulously avoided knowing anything about it so I could experience the film on its own terms. I’d heard there was something of a surprise ending, so I didn’t want to spoil it for myself.

And as I look up, totally oblivious, the main character is killed.

Ah.

Well.

Steve looks up. “Oh yeah, CLASSIC movie! Have you seen it?”

My blood is slowly beginning to boil. Veins I haven’t used in years are throbbing.

“No. Hadn’t. Seen. It. Yet.”

“Oh dude!” Steve says, “Great flick! And what an ending! First time I saw it totally didn’t see THAT coming! Wow, what a shock ending!”

“Yeah,” I snarl through grinding teeth. “Yeah. I. Bet. It. Is.”

Oh, by the way, Steve’s body won’t be discovered for a few weeks.