While we Detroiters are getting accustomed to seeing film crews and celebrities in town for a shoot, Michigan's new movie industry is shaping up in other ways.

For instance, the Lifton Institute for Media Skills (part of Unity Studios in Allen Park) recently graduated its first class. The best part is that most of the Institute's graduates already have a job; they will work on Unity Studio's first movie production. The movie, A Christmas Dream, is about a mother and daughter living during the Civil War, is being made in partnership with The Henry Ford, and is set to begin in March.

The weekend is almost here in Detroit, which means it's time to make plans. Here are just a few of the things to do in Detroit this weekend:

Dorothy and Friends in the The Wizard of Oz © Joan Marcus

Events: Ferndale is in the midst of its annual Ferndale Blues Festival, a series of 60 live concerts over nine days and at several venues along Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile Road.

Concerts: American Carnage Tour with Slayer and Megadeth is at Cobo Arena, Cheap Trick is at Caesars Windsor, and Eddie Griffin and Dominique are at the MotorCity Casino.

Shows: The Wizard of Oz is at The Fisher Theatre, Sesame Street Live Elmo's Green Thumb is at The Fox Theatre, and Cirque Du Soleil Alegria is at Joe Louis.

More Information:

• List of Events and Things to Do in Detroit in February, 2010

• List of Shows and Concerts coming to Detroit in February and March

Granted, it's easier to order this kind of thing online and have the sexy gift for your significant other show up in a plain-brown package, but time is getting short if you want to go sexy for Valentine's Day. So, to help you out, here are a few stores in the Metro-Detroit area that do sexy gifts for Valentine's Day:

• Lover's Lane has ten stores across the Metro-Detroit area. The merchandise ranges from Lingerie to games.
  
  
• Spencer's Gifts has six locations in malls throughout the Metro-Detroit area. Intimate apparel, games and products are just a portion of what's offered in a store devoted to fun and games "inspired by humor and irreverence."
  
  
• S3 Safe Sex Store in Ann Arbor is a boutique that offers a lot of adult toys, accessories and novelties, but it tones down the presentation with information and education.
  
  
• Noir Leather in Royal Oak -- you figure it out.

Let's face it, the more money you save when dining out, the more often you can do it! After searching through several online coupon services, here are a few that have some pretty good restaurant deals and/or coupons for the Metro-Detroit area.

This weeks eats:

• Valpak offers coupons for restaurants in the Metro-Detroit area. While the number of restaurants listed is not as many as some other services, the coupons included are pretty good. For instance, Valpak has a coupon for $10 off the purchase of two entrees at Sweet Lorraine's in Detroit, %15 off your bill at Howe's Bayou on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, and a free lunch or dinner (with purchase of same) at the Kabob Inn in Redford.
  
  
• ActiveDiner.com offers big discounts (in some cases 50% or more) on restaurant gift certificates for a large number of restaurants in downtown Detroit and beyond.
  
  
• Save on Everything has coupons for the Metro-Detroit area organized by cuisine or specific city. For instance, Boomer's Roadhouse in Waterford has a 50% of a second entree coupon, Gilbert's Lodge in St. Clair Shores has a buy one, get one free coupon, and Asian Buffet in Plymouth has a coupon for 10% off your bill.

Bon Appetite!