File selection + Opening in Photoshop

I'm evaluating this program as an alternative to Bridge and running into two issues:
First, selecting multiple files. In Bridge, if I'm viewing a file in filmstrip, that file is selected. I can then press and hold Shift and select subsequent files, including the current one. I do this frequently to open and merge these files in panoramas in ACR. 
In FRV, "selection" is apparently a different function, and it's confusing. Though the currently-viewed file is highlighted, holding Shift and selecting a later file only selects (checkmarks) the later file and a random number of files preceding it, and does not include the highlighted file. You have to actually checkmark the highlighted file for the selection to work properly. 
The upshot of this is a slow workflow with a lot of CTRL-D's (to make sure something isn't selected elsewhere that I'm not viewing) and a lot of cursor actions to make sure the right files are selected. Keyboard navigation and selection is, IMO, quite challenging.
Here's what I do in Bridge: arrow keys to navigate filmstrip, shift + arrows to select, CTRL-O to open selected images in ACR. 
Second, I can't figure out how to open multiple files by keyboard in Photoshop, even when selected. The right-click context menu option allows this, but just pressing the keyboard shortcut for Photoshop opens a single file, regardless of how many are selected. Again, very slow. 
What am I missing to simplify this?