Movie Review—Breaking In

Breaking In

by Peter J. O’Connell                                                         

Breaking In. Released: May 11, 2018. Runtime: 88 mins. MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, menace, bloody images, sexual references, and briefstrong language.

Director James McTeigue’s Breaking Indraws together tropes from two recent films: an African-American mother’s fierce struggle to rescue her young (2017’s Kidnap, starring Halle Berry) and the desperate attempt 

to get into a house despite its high-tech security system so as to get a victim out (the currently playing Bad Samaritan).

The African-American mother in Breaking Inis Shaun Russell (Gabrielle Union), and her children are the tween Jasmine (Ajiona Alexus) and her younger brother, Glover (Seth Carr). The movie begins with Shaun’s father, Isaac (Damien Leake), jogging. A delivery truck deliberately runs into him. The driver gets out and with a booted foot crushes Isaac’s skull as he lies in the street.

Having gotten our attention with this opening, the film then has, sometime later, Shaun and her kids drive out to Isaac’s isolated house, which has an elaborate security system, to wind up his affairs. While Shaun is outside the house for a time, four thugs sneak into it and take Jasmine and Glover hostage. One of the thugs, Peter (Mark Furze), attacks Shaun but gets skewered with a wine glass and knocked out against a rock for his trouble.

Peter is out of the picture—for a while—but the other three thugs are still inside menacing the kids and keeping Shaun outside. Over the intercom, Eddie (Billy Burke), leader of the bad guys, explains to Shaun, in a somewhat world-weary manner, that there is $4 million in ill-gotten gains that Isaac has stored in a safe somewhere in the house. Peter knows how to open the safe, but neither he nor any of the other thugs knows the safe’s location.

Cell phones are dysfunctional, and events seem at a stalemate. Eddie tells Shaun: “You are a mother alone at the mercy of strangers. Your greatest weakness is locked in this house with us.” Will Shaun cooperate with Eddie in order to save her kids?

This possibility is vitiated by an extreme act by one of the criminals, the intense, hatchet-faced Duncan (Richard Cabral). Duncan’s act turns the fear that Shaun has into desperation to save her kids, which she sets out trying to do with great ingenuity—and even greater violence. The film even gives Shaun an appropriately Eastwoodian line: “You broke into the wrong house!”   

                                                                                                                                   Shaun’s courage acts as an inspiration for the kids, who join in the struggle. It’s a good thing that they do, for—and this will make Nutmeggers who remember the Cheshire home invasion queasy—the thugs are threatening them with rape and immolation. 

Breaking Inmoves briskly through its running time, mixing clichéd material with fresh material, strong performances (Union, Cabral) with insufficiently intense ones (Burke), familiar cinematic techniques with imaginative ones. The film provides little in the way of enlightenment but more than a modicum of exciting entertainment. If you didn’t see it on Mother’s Day weekend, when it was released, at least try and see it before Father’s Day. In its own way, it is an affirmation of family values!

“Footnote” to the film:Breaking Inhas been called “a Panic Roomin reverse.” Panic Roomwas a 2002 film in which Jodie Foster played a mother who stays with her child in a sealed, locked room after thugs take over her house.    

  

Movie Review—You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here

by Peter J. O'Connell            

You Were Never Really Here. Released: April 2018. Runtime: 89 mins. MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, disturbing and grisly images, language, and brief nudity.

You Were Never Really Here, directed and co-written by Lynne Ramsay, centers around Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), a veteran of law enforcement and the military, who now works for McCleary (John Doman), a sketchy private eye. Grizzled, hulking, sometimes suicidal, Joe's specialty is recovering missing teens, and his favorite tool is a ballpeen hammer. His reputation is that of a strange and brutal guy, but one who gets results. 

You see, Joe suffers—and, boy, does he suffer!--from post-traumatic stress disorder from his previous careers, exacerbated by his current one. His current career's most recent assignment involves finding Nina (Ekaterina Samsonova), the missing innocent 13-year-old daughter of an ambitious New York politician. 

The most striking feature of Ramsay's film, however, is not that we watch the unusual Joe going through his world, following half-baked leads on what becomes a bloody rescue mission with surprising, even shocking, twists and turns. What is truly striking is that Ramsay has us see Joe's world as Joe sees it in all his fragmented, hallucinatory, paranoid state of mind.

Normal sounds become unbearable screechs. Normal lights become painfully vivid. Violent flashbacks interweave with old, sweet melodies. What is real and what is imagined, what is present and what is past are difficult to distinguish. And always there is, for Joe, pain, physical and psychological.

The direction, cinematography, and editing of You Were Never Really Here show Ramsay to be a filmmaker of great talent. And Joaquin Phoenix is one of filmdom's best actors. Some feel that he is today's Brando. He certainly totally “inhabits” Joe. All this being said, however, it is easier to respect the film than it is to recommend it. A little “strong violence, disturbing and grisly images” (MPAA rating) and PTSD from inside the head go a long way—and You Were Never Really Here has way more than a little of these.

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) Intentionally or not (probably not), the title of Ramsay's film calls to mind a classic quip made by David Letterman on his late-night TV show in 2006 at the end of a very spacey appearance by Joaquin Phoenix: “Thank you for not being here tonight.” (2) Moviegoers who might be interested in another current film exploring the shaky boundary line between reality and hallucination should check out Unsane. In this movie a woman (Claire Foy) who thinks that she is being stalked finds herself involuntarily committed to an institution. Imagine her horror when she comes to believe that her stalker from the outside world is also working in the institution! Unsane is directed by Steven Soderbergh, and, interestingly, was filmed mostly on an iPhone. 

Custom settings make smartphones easy, accessible to older users

(BPT) - The digital generation gap is slowly narrowing, as older users come to more fully grasp smartphone technology and appreciate its many benefits. New technologies make it easier than ever to maintain social contacts, monitor health and preserve independence. According to Pew Research, 85 percent of adults over age 65 own cellphones today, and the number who own smartphones has risen from 18 percent to 42 percent since 2013.

Generally, seniors don’t even require specially designed cellphone technology. While some phones are marketed specifically as being for older users, experts say that these specialized gadgets sometimes over-promise and under-deliver. In fact, ordinary Android devices and iPhones are more popular choices, as they're economical, easy to find and customizable.

Best of all, they don’t have to be expensive. While flagship models like the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S9 can be pricey, there are many good, affordable mid-range phones available from top manufacturers for $200 or less. You can also often find discounts on models from previous years.

Have it your way
There are countless amazing tasks a smartphone can perform, but the biggest advantage is that they can be fully customized to meet the unique requirements of nearly any user. By spending just a few minutes adjusting settings, a device’s functionality can be made as simple or robust as you need it to be.

Today’s smartphones include a variety of powerful accessibility features that make them incredibly user-friendly. On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Accessibility to find many convenient options, such as closed captioning on apps that support it, and a built-in magnifier that uses the phone’s camera. Android phones have a menu of similar functions, which can be found under Settings > Advanced > Accessibility. Samsung models even offer an “Easy Mode,” which configures the Home screen with a simpler layout and bigger icons to provide an easier experience for first-time smartphone users. More adventurous users may even want to explore digital assistants like Google Assist, or Apple’s Siri, which respond to voice commands.

The average size of a smartphone screen has grown over the years, with the current average at 5.5 inches. In addition to being easier to see due to their sheer size and magnificent resolution, custom settings let users adjust factors like contrast, brightness, and the size of fonts and icons to suit their preferences.

On every smartphone, there’s also the option to create customized lists of contacts for convenient calling or texting. It’s easy to organize specific lists to quickly and easily find numbers for close relatives, medical providers or other important local services.

So many good choices
It seems hard to believe the first iPhone and Android smartphones were only introduced a little over 10 years ago. Since those not-so-distant days of 2007 and 2008, they’ve become a nearly indispensable part of most people’s lives. Last year, there were more than 200 million smartphone users, and 90 million iPhone users, in the U.S. alone.

If you’re a newcomer to smartphones, there are so many great options that it can be hard to choose. To help find what’s best for you, look to a carrier like Consumer Cellular, a recognized leader in providing innovative and affordable wireless solutions to users age 50+. They offer a wide variety of phones to choose from, as well as value-priced, no-contract monthly plans.

The best smartphones are designed for easy use, whether you're having trouble seeing text on the display, finding the right buttons to press, or hearing the person on the other end of the phone. With a little research and preparation, you can have the perfect device in your hands in no time.

Movie Review—A Quiet Place

Theatrical release poster

 by Peter J. O’Connell            

A Quiet Place. Released: April 2018. Runtime: 90 mins. MPAA Rating: PG-13 for terror and some bloody images. 

Triggered by events in Mexico, violent aliens, hostile even to the way Americans speak, are tasking over the U.S. In the heartland a pro-life, gun-owning, Christian family—strong, caring father; warm, supportive mother; several plucky kids, one named Regan—hope to survive, defeat the aliens, and make America safe again. Such is the premise of A QuietPlace, directed and co-written by and co-starring John Krasinski. A parable, perhaps inadvertent, of the time of Trump from an unlikely source, Hollywood?

Well, before the film is such a parable—if it is—it’s a horror/sci-fi movie. The aliens are yucky space aliens, a la (yes) Alien, the 1979 classic. A briefly seen newspaper headline establishes that they came to Earth as a result of a meteor’s crash into Mexico. What distinguishes these monstrous creatures, however, is the fact that they are ultra-sensitive to sound and will show up with great alacrity to tear apart any humans whom they hear talking or otherwise making noise. Thus, silence is not just “golden” but absolutely necessary.

And it is absolute silence that Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) and his wife, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), enforce on themselves and their children as they seek to survive on their farm. There is almost a cloistered, monastic (Abbott, hmmm . . .) quality to their lives. They are aided in their efforts by the fact that one of their children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), a teenage girl, has a disability that can be transformed into a survival skill. Regan is deaf and communicates by American Sign Language, which, of course, Lee and Evelyn and younger child, Marcus (Noah Jupe), have all learned. (Simmonds, a fine young actress, is actually deaf in real life. And the ASL is subtitled on the screen.)

Unfortunately, however, Regan has become restive and somewhat rebellious since the horrific killing of her youngest brother, Beau (Cade Woodward), by the aliens. Regan believes that her father blames her for certain actions that brought the aliens to Beau. Though profoundly saddened by Beau’s death, Lee does not actually blame Regan and in a soundproofed room tinkers constantly with electrical equipment in an effort to communicate with other humans and devise devices that might help Regan to hear.

Aside from Regan’s discontent, the family is holding together fairly well despite the dangers around them. Holding hands, they pray (silently) before meals. Lee takes Marcus on that classic father-son bonding experience, a fishing trip. Evelyn assures the children: “Your father will protect you. Your father will always protect you.” 

Lee and Evelyn even have decided to have another child. While Lee, Marcus, and Regan are all away from the house, Evelyn gives birth, attracting an alien that stalks the mother and her newborn. The suspense now becomes wrenching. 

Will Lee actually be able to protect the family? Will Regan and Marcus be able to get out of an unusual, as it were, “trap” that they have fallen into? Will Regan make some discoveries of vital importance? Will Evelyn be able to find a way to wield her shotgun effectively against the aliens?

It hardly need be said that the combination of breatholding suspense and virtual absence of spoken dialogue creates a situation in the theatre where one can “hear a pin drop.” The theatre itself becomes a “quiet place.” Krasinski’s direction is as solid as his performance in his parental role, which is matched by that of Blunt, his wife in real life and mother of their two children.

Perhaps there is a political parable deep in the film, but for Krasinski a parable of parenthood is more to the fore. He has been quoted as saying: “The scares are secondary to how powerful this could be as an allegory or metaphor for parenthood. To me, this is all about parenthood.” And A Quiet Placeis powerful indeed. 

  

Grit, Grace, and Glamour: America’s First Ladies

Wallingford Library presents

Washington D.C. tour guide Mariann Millard presents a lively and fascinating program about the First Ladies of the United States. Who were they? What made them tick? Did they love or loathe their role? Learn how they navigated the complex paths of politics, protocol, and publicity. To understand and appreciate the important role First Ladies play, Mariann skillfully and humorously weaves historical and modern events, images, and facts, beginning with Martha Washington.  A Q&A session will follow her presentation.

Day: Tuesday May 22, 2018

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM

LOCATION: Community Room

Osteoporosis FAQs: Am I at risk?

(BPT) - As people age, they become more likely to develop osteoporosis, a disease that occurs when bones lose density and mass, which can cause bones to be brittle, weak and easily broken. During Osteoporosis Awareness Month, at-risk Americans are encouraged to take positive actions to monitor their bone health.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare Retiree Solutions, answers common questions about osteoporosis and shares more about a test that can help diagnose osteoporosis or determine if you might be at risk.

How common is osteoporosis? 
An estimated 54 million Americans have osteoporosis and low bone mass, which means they have an increased risk for osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Studies suggest that approximately half of women and a quarter of men age 50 and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is responsible for 2 million broken bones and 75,000 deaths every year.

Osteoporotic bone breaks most often occur in the hip, spine or wrist, but other bones can break too. Beyond significant, often permanent pain, these fractures can have many other consequences, including frailty and limited mobility, complications related to the broken bone itself or the surgery to repair it, and the necessity of long-term care and institutionalization.

How is it diagnosed? 
Talking to your doctor will help ensure you get the test that may be needed to correctly diagnosis osteoporosis, which may be a simple bone mineral density (BMD) test like a DEXA scan. BMD tests can identify osteoporosis before a broken bone occurs and measure your response to osteoporosis treatment.

Should I get tested?
The NOF recommends BMD tests for women age 65 or older and men age 70 or older. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men, and more common after menopause, so women should begin talking to their doctor about osteoporosis before menopause. Anyone with several of these risk factors — both controllable and uncontrollable — should also discuss it at a younger age than the general guidelines.

Consider asking your doctor if you should complete a bone density test to determine how healthy your bones are. If you’re a UnitedHealthcare member, you might get a call offering an osteoporosis screening that wouldn’t require a prescription from your doctor.

What do the test results mean? 
Your doctor will discuss your test with you, and help you interpret the results. Results are reported using T-scores, which show how much less dense your bones are than those of a healthy 30-year-old. A T-score of -1.0 or above is normal bone density, and a T-score of -2.5 or below is a diagnosis of osteoporosis, according to the World Health Organization. Although not everyone who has low bone mass will develop osteoporosis, those with low bone mass are at higher risk.

How often should you be tested? 
BMD testing frequency depends on factors including age, past bone density results and whether you are taking an osteoporosis treatment. Discuss your specific needs with your health care provider.

Does Medicare cover these tests?
Medicare plans cover the full cost of bone mass measurement testing once every 24 months for people who meet certain criteria, but the test may be covered more often if deemed medically necessary.

What else should I know?
There is no one single way to ensure healthy bones, but there are many great habits that can put you on the right path. Incorporate enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet; avoid smoking and drinking; maintain a regular exercise routine (you might want to give yoga a try!); and take steps to minimize your risk of falls.

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or have had fractures, talk with your doctor about medication options, which can vary based on gender, age, bone health and other factors.

Movie Review—Bad Samaritan

Bad Samaritan

by Peter J. O'Connell

Bad Samaritan. Released: May 2018. Runtime: 111 mins. MPAA Rating: R for violence, language throughout, some drug use, and brief nudity.

Horror-inflected thrillers often are set in decaying mansions or cabins in the woods. Director Dean Devlin's Bad Samaritan is partly set in the latter locale but mostly in the uncommon venue of a modernist/minimalist mansion loaded with high-tech gear. Bad Samaritan is actually a techno-thriller, with computers, smart phones, GPSes, digital surveillance systems, etc. almost actors themselves in its plot. Appropriately enough, the movie takes place in the Pacific Northwest, land of rainy weather, tech-adept folks, and serial killers (think Ted Bundy, think the Green River Killer, et al.). 

Sean Falco (Robert Sheehan) is an aspiring artsy photographer working with his buddy Carlito (Derek Sandoval) as a valet parker at a pricey restaurant. Sean and Carlito, however, don't just rely on tips. They have a profitable sideline going. While the car owners dine, either Sean or Carlito uses GPSes in the cars as guides to the owners' homes, where the valet becomes a burglar and, using his own technical skills as necessary, robs the house and then returns to the restaurant to deliver the car to the unsuspecting patrons. 

One night Sean is particularly enjoying his break-in to the aforementioned modernist/minimalist mansion of a diner whose personality is as unpleasant in its impact on others as his name, Cale Erendreich (David Tennant), is in its sound. Sean finds it curious that the minimalism of Cale's place is broken at several spots by décor featuring horses. But Sean goes from curious to appalled when he discovers in a secret room a brutalized young woman, Katie (Kerry Condon), in equestrian garb and bound and gagged with bridles and harnesses.

Sean frantically tries to free Katie, but he cannot, while Carlito, for his part, is increasingly frantic on the phone to Sean trying to get him to bring the car back before Cale can no longer be put off. Sean puts in a call to 9-1-1 and gets back to the restaurant just barely in time. He then returns to the mansion in his own car to see what the police will do, but Cale has one-upped him in a shrewd move. The patrolmen find nothing wrong.

Guilt-ridden at his failure to get Katie free, but afraid to reveal his burglaries, Sean enters into a struggle of armrest-gripping suspense with Cale, fought not mano-a-mano but digital device vs. digital device. The slightly cadaverous-looking Cale is played with chilling brilliance by David Tennant as he unleashes cyber-warfare, not just against Sean but also against Sean's girlfriend and parents. Robert Sheehan, too, is fine as the somewhat “dreamboaty” Sean who has to, in effect, win a war with a monster. Sean becomes increasingly depressed as he has to move up the law enforcement ladder from patrolmen to detectives to FBI agents in a seemingly futile effort to rescue Katie.

Devlin's movie offers all the usual dark delights of thrillers—ominous music, jump scares, etc.--within its twisty techno framework. Its high level of intensity dissipates somewhat, however, when the action moves from the mansion in the city to a cabin in the woods and becomes more conventional (and bloody). In any case, the battle of good and bad samaritans makes for a gripping two hours as it raises the question: Does no good deed go unpunished?

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) Curiously, Bad Samaritan is the second recent film to link an interest in horses to a murderous psychopath. Thoroughbreds is the other. (2) Is the eventual fate of Cale's mansion some kind of a nod in the direction of a 1960s film by master Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni?      

How to live to be 100

Here is a great chance to hear from a recognized expert on preventive cardiology. Dr. Edward Schuster  from Stamford Health will be at the Waveny in New Canaan on May 15. program starts at 6:00 p.m. and includes a Q & A session. Click here for more information

Movie Review—1945

1945

by Peter J. O'Connell

1945. First U.S. release: Nov. 2017. Runtime: 91 mins. In Hungarian and Russian with English subtitles.

Radio news of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan stirs little interest in the Hungarian village where director/co-writer Ferenc Torok's 1945 is set. The August bombing will end World War II in the Pacific, but the war in Europe ended three months earlier. What will come to have explosive—literally and figuratively—impact on life in the village, though, is news of some arrivals at the train station a short distance away.

This Hungarian film picks up a trope—trouble brought by train--from two classic American films. In the Western High Noon (1952), an outlaw's arrival by train reveals a community consumed by cowardice and depicts the stresses placed on a man who reluctantly finds that he must play a heroic role there. In the film noir Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), an investigator's arrival by train leads to the revelation of a collective crime at the center of a community's recent past. 

The train in 1945 does not bring either an outlaw or an investigator. Instead, it brings two men in black, one older (Ivan Angelusz), one younger (Marcell Nagy). The two men are Jews, wearing traditional dark garb. They have several trunks with them. They hire a horse-drawn wagon to transport the trunks, while they walk slowly behind toward the village. 

The walk of the Jews will take place, as did the action in High Noon, pretty much in real time. Their relatively short, silent journey, intercut with what is happening in the village, comes to take on a relentless, suspenseful quality. What do they want? What will they do? What is in the trunks?

The village has been preparing for a festive event, the wedding of the son (Bence Tasnadi) of the Town Clerk (Peter Rudolf) to a woman (Dora Sztarenki) from another prominent family. But speculation sparked by the quiet, steady walk of the Jews begins to upstage that celebration and bring into the open tensions that show the picturesque village to be a place of cries and whispers, secrets and lies.

When the Nazis and their Hungarian allies deported Jews to the death camps, Jewish property was distributed among locals. Thus, in the village the haughty Town Clerk received a drug store. Others received houses and fields. Are the two Jews harbingers of more to come who will reclaim what is rightfully theirs?

Fear of this possibility grips some villagers, who seek to hide confiscated property. Others are plagued by feelings of guilt and shame. The emotions that begin churning cause longstanding problems unconnected with the war to come to the surface—family conflict, loveless marriages, loathed engagements, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, clerical hypocrisy. 

The Jews arrive at their destination and do what they came to do in the moving climax of this wonderfully written, directed, and acted film. Its black and white cinematography sets the mood perfectly. And its restrained imagery—a train unloading boxes, black smoke drifting skyward, a tattooed arm ever so briefly seen—function as haunting reminders of a crime far greater than those in a Western or a film noir. See 1945, even if you have to take a train to get to the theatre!  

The woman who invented Mother’s Day would absolutely hate what it is today

While dining at a Philadelphia tearoom owned by her friend John Wanamaker, Anna Jarvis ordered a salad — then dumped it on the floor.

Jarvis hated that the food was called “Mother’s Day Salad,” named after a celebration of mothers that she had pioneered years earlier.

The strong-willed woman saw it not as an honor, but as an affront to a tradition she held so dear. To her, it was a cheap marketing gimmick to profit off an idea that she considered to be hers, and hers alone.

The incident was recounted in a newspaper article published sometime in the early 1900s, years after Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day service in the country, said Katharine Antolini, a historian who has studied Jarvis and how Mother’s Day became a national holiday.

Jarvis spent decades fighting an uphill battle to keep Mother’s Day from becoming the commercialized holiday that it is today. To her, it was simply a day to honor mothers, and she started it to commemorate her own. So when people co-opted her idea for other purposes, Jarvis was incensed.

Born in Webster, W.Va., Jarvis created Mother’s Day because she was inspired by her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, a Sunday school teacher who helped start Mother’s Day Work Clubs to teach women how to care for their children.

After one lecture in 1876, Ann Reeves Jarvis prayed that somebody would create a day commemorating mothers for their service for humanity, Antolini said.

Twelve-year-old Anna Jarvis remembered that.

Her mother died in 1905, and Jarvis, then in her 40s, promised at her gravesite that she’d be the one to answer her prayer.

Over the next years, Jarvis embarked on a relentless letter-writing campaign to persuade governors of every state to declare the second Sunday of May — the closest Sunday to her mother’s death anniversary — Mother’s Day.

She wrote to Mark Twain, President Theodore Roosevelt and any other powerful politician she could think of to help her with her cause, Antolini said. She also sought the help of Wanamaker, the Philadelphia businessman and her friend.

The first Mother’s Day service was held one morning in 1908 at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton. She bought hundreds of carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, for the service. A bigger celebration was held that afternoon at Wanamaker’s auditorium in Pennsylvania, where Jarvis spoke.

Two years later, West Virginia passed a law designating the holiday, and other states followed.

But Jarvis was nowhere near done. Click here to continue reading.

Changing addresses? 10 tips for busy baby boomers

(BPT) - For many Americans, moving households represents a fresh start and a chance to improve quality of life. Last year, some 39.4 million Americans changed residences, thanks in part to better affordability in the housing market.

That doesn't mean, however, that everyone's moving process was friction-free. The logistical coordination and the physical work involved with DIY packing and loading can be a major chore in the best of circumstances. And that's doubly true for baby boomers who are downsizing or moving to new communities, yet challenged by the physically grueling aspects of a DIY move.

Fortunately, forming a plan that troubleshoots the most common challenges can help enormously. Consider how these tips could keep your next move smooth and free of unnecessary stress.

1. Protect your treasures: Avoid the heartbreak of damaged belongings by stocking up on bubble wrap and other efficient packing materials. You also could optimize household items such as towels, blankets and coats.

2. Stagger your packing: Pack too early and you may need items you've stashed away; pack too late and you may be crunched for time. Start with non-essentials and out-of-season belongings a few weeks before moving day, sorting discards as you go. Save necessities for the last 48 hours.

3. Label, label, label: This may seem unnecessary while you're packing, but will save you time and frustration upon arrival when you're desperately looking for your essentials. It also allows you to immediately sort boxes by room and store items that are infrequently needed.

4. Secure transportation early: Instead of procrastinating and missing out on the truck you need, hop on your smartphone at least two weeks ahead to easily reserve a vehicle at PenskeTruckRental.com.

5. Right-size your truck: Rather than guessing what size moving vehicle you'll need, plan on about 150 cubic feet of truck space for each fully furnished room in your home. That means a move from an apartment might necessitate a 12-foot truck offering 450 cubic feet, while a move from a house might require a 26-foot truck offering 1,400 feet.

6. Recruit help: The packing and transporting may sound easy until you try to do it all yourself. This is the time to call in favors or perhaps pay some teens to help with the lifting and hauling.

7. Pack your truck strategically: Optimize your space by positioning your furniture and other large, heavy items in the back of your vehicle before proceeding with lighter items. That optimizes the vehicle's power and allows you to fit smaller items into smaller spaces.

8. Follow ergonomics: The last thing you need is to injure your back through haphazard movement during the loading process. Stretch beforehand, avoid twisting your torso as you load and remember to lift with your legs by crouching rather than bending from the waist.

9. Strategize your route: Map out the way ahead of time, review weather forecasts, avoid rush hour and leave yourself plenty of time for breaks, refueling and unloading.

10. Drive like a pro: Many people are unfamiliar with the difference between driving a car and a big truck. Read all instructions provided and understand how to drive differently to remain safe (and legal).

Regardless of your age, a DIY moving process can be efficient and pain-free when you organize the details ahead of time. Talk to Penske Truck Rental for more suggestions on making that happen.

Tips to keep your pet healthy in the heat

(BPT) - Spring is here, summer is approaching fast and it's time to get outside and start taking advantage of the warmer weather. Dr. Jeff Werber, Emmy award-winning celebrity veterinarian, has a few tips and tricks on how to keep your pet happy and healthy in the heat.

Before you start your jogging treks, hiking excursions or bicycle touring with your furry partner by your side, it's important to understand these spring/summer safety measures to keep your pet happy and safe.

Easing into exercise

After sitting around all winter, it is not a good idea to jump right into a full exercise regimen full speed ahead. The best approach to get your pet ready for more activities outside is a gradual introduction into exercise. A game of fetch is a perfect way to get your pet up and moving. The Chuckit! Launcher and Locator Sound Ball provides an easy way for your pet to increase their stamina, with the added entertainment of retrieving a ball that emits an audible pulse sound every few seconds to help pet parents and dogs locate the ball in any terrain after launch.

If your pet enjoys chasing ground pursuits (think rabbits and squirrels), the Chuckit! RingChaser is a great option to satisfy their instincts. Again, short bursts of chasing and retrieving are a fun way to get your pup back into shape.

It's also critical to choose the best time of day to exercise - and noon is not it. The best time to enjoy your pet's company is early in the morning or early in the evening. Keep in mind that in the evening after the sun is down, the pavement can still be pretty warm, as it retains heat for quite a while. Where possible, try to exercise on a grassy or dirt surface to avoid burning or irritating their paws.

Keeping cool and staying hydrated

What we love so much about our dogs is how loyal they are and how much they want to please us. This can be a problem when it comes to potential overexertion, as they will keep going just to be with us, even though they may be overheating. Moreover, many dogs and cats can overheat from lying around the house or backyard as well. When leaving pets outside during the spring or summer, make sure that shade and fresh water are always available. There are many devices available that can provide water automatically or on-demand, like the Petmate Replendish Waterer, which provides a constant flow of fresh water throughout the day for pets even when the pet parent isn't home. If you're out and about with your pet, consider the Replendish To-Go Water bottle that conveniently includes a travel bowl for your pet. For longer excursions, or for hotter climates, wet a bandana and place it in the freezer the night before so it will remain nice and cool a little longer. Also, make regular stops in a shady area to allow both of you to catch your breath.

Indoor dogs and cats also need to escape from the heat. Make sure the house isn't kept too warm. Keep at least one room cooler by leaving the shades or drapes closed. Enough has been written about pets and parked cars, so I'm sure you are all aware of that potential deadly hazard. Don't do it, not even in the shade or "only for a few minutes." Enough said.

Limitless possibilities, while on a leash

You and your pet are finally enjoying the great outdoors, and the fun activities with Fido are endless. Our pet nation has a huge population, and it's important to be a good citizen. Remember to respect other pets' "space" and boundaries, and don't assume every dog is dying to play with yours. Wherever you and your pet decide to roam, be mindful of the local leash laws. You don't want to turn a fun outing into an emergency room visit for you or anyone else.

If you're heading off to a park or hiking area, make sure you have everything you need for your trek. Travel treats and water bottles are always a good idea to keep with you, to make sure you and your pet are well fueled and hydrated. Keep essentials, like your keys, lip balm, waste bag, etc., all in one place with the Petmate Zipp Leash that features an expandable pouch built right into the leash to hold all dog-walking basics while on the go.

Regardless of whether you choose to run, romp, hike or trek, spring and summer are great times of year to bond with your pets. I encourage all of you to get outdoors, enjoy the warmth and sunshine, and to include your four-legged kids in your activities. Just remember to play it smart and keep them safe.

Movie Review—Thoroughbreds

Thoroughbreds

by Peter J. O’Connell

Thoroughbreds. Released: March 2018. Runtime: 92 mins. MPAA Rating: R for disturbing behavior, bloody images, language, sexual references, and some drug content. 

In Thoroughbredswhen Amanda (Olivia Cooke) enters the mansion in Connecticut where Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) lives, she is not just entering a brightly lit world of wealth and privilege manifested in decorative excess, she is bringing the dark world of her mind with her. And writer/director Cory Finley will take us on a tour of both worlds. 

Amanda is a dark-haired, dark-eyed, blank-faced high school girl who is facing animal cruelty charges for having knifed her horse to death. Lily is a golden-haired, blue-eyed, porcelain-skinned high school girl with cupid-bow lips—seemingly a classic “nice girl.”

The two girls had been best friends earlier but grew apart after the death of Lily’s father. They meet again under the pretense of having Lily provide a casual tutoring session for Amanda. It’s quickly learned, however, that Amanda’s mother, worried about Amanda’s social isolation because of the notoriety surrounding her from the horse knifing, has paid Lily to tutor her daughter, primarily to lessen the isolation. In this community, money is behind many things.

But love is in short supply. Lily lives with her mother and stepfather, Mark (Paul Sparks), a vain and cruel man, continually exercising, whom Lily hates because of his emotionally and verbally abusive attitude toward her and her mother (Francie Swift), who is suffering from cancer.  

Despite the bogus nature of the tutoring session, Amanda and Lily renew their relationship. Fluttery and seemingly sensitive, Lily is nevertheless fascinated by Amanda, who says: “I don’t have any feelings, ever. Joy, guilt—I really don’t have any of those. And that doesn’t necessarily make me a bad person; it just means I have to work a little harder to be good.” 

Amanda substitutes mimicry for the emotions that she lacks and can even cry on cue using a “technique” that she has taught herself. She says that psychiatrists flip through their manual seeking to find a term to describe her and have currently decided on “antisocial personality disorder with schizoid tendencies.” But Amanda doesn’t care what they say. She just wants to be like college dropout/digital genius Steve Jobs.   “I want to skip college and Steve Jobs my way through life.” 

Lily is soon imitating the affectless but charismatic Amanda by darkening her hair and in various other ways. And when Mark threatens to send her to a boarding school for girls with behavioral issues and not pay for college, Lily goes Amanda one dark thought farther and suggests that they actually begin to plan in detail the murder of Mark that Amanda had casually mentioned earlier. Lily has taken to heart Amanda’s concept that “the only thing worse than being incompetent or being unkind or being evil is being indecisive.”

In furtherance of their scheme, the girls rope in Tim (Anton Yelchin), a jittery drug dealer, one interested in young girls, who is working as a dishwasher. Like Amanda, Tim is also a big admirer of Steve Jobs. (Ironically, it is entrepreneurial Mark who actually seems to resemble Jobs.) Various twists and turns involving the murder plot lead up to a surprising conclusion.

Along the way we learn that Amanda has a recurring dream about a future society that has fallen apart because of human vanity and has to be run by horses if it is to recover. This dream may remind some moviegoers of the final part of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, in which a better society than England’s is run by Houyhnhnms (“whinny/humans”), a race of talking horses.  

If this reference is intended, it is certainly appropriate, for Thoroughbredshas a kind of Swiftian pitch-black humor and slashing (in more senses than one) satire of class and gender expectations vis-à-vis actual behavior and of society’s formulations about normality and abnormality. The cast, particularly the two leads, is pitch (black) perfect. The movie has mostly one setting, the mansion, but the cinematography is so good that though, in several senses, the characters operate within the world of the mansion, the audience doesn’t feel confined by the setting. The score, which often incorporates what sounds like Mark’s exercise rowing machine, contributes much to the movie. So, trot off to Thoroughbreds!

“Footnotes” to the film: There is a small subgenre of films about murderous young women. An actual case in France spawned: Jean Genet’s playThe Maids(1947); a 1975 British film based on the play, starring Glenda Jackson and Susannah York; and Claude Chabrol’s film La Ceremonie(1995). Patty McCormack was a young murderess inTheBad Seed(1956). Lord of the Ringsdirector Peter Jackson helmed Heavenly Creatures(1994), based on an actual case from the 1950s in New Zealand. In Heathers(1988), set in a high school, Christian Slater’s character egged on Winona Ryder’s character to off the title characters.