So I'm tottering around in the early morning, preparing to head out for a before-breakfast swim, and National Public Radio is doing a catch-up on weekend news. Charlton Heston's death is one of the topics, and suddenly we're into a recap of his memorable science-fiction roles.

The point seemed to be that those movies tended to be dark, dystopian tales and I think that connected in the essay to his position in the National Rifle Association. But to make that connection (which was easy enough), the commentator -- as have so many others -- casually gave away the ending of 1973's Soylent Green. Geez.

There's a reason it's a classic: It's a surprise ending. (It's not a big surprise, what with its origin in Damon Knight's "To Serve Man" and, more recently, with such bigmouths as this morning's commentator. Nevertheless, its impact comes from the shock.)

Earlier in the piece, he'd tossed off the ending of Planet of the Apes: another "surprise" ending -- and, yes, of course I know there were many sequels, as well as comic-book sequels. Still, in both cases, the remarks were gratuitous: tossed in as if to demonstrate the commentator's research, rather than necessary to make the point.

Again: If people do know the ending, you don't have to tell them; if they don't know the ending, you shouldn't tell them. How hard is that?