1 "Moonrise Kingdom" is the latest unadulterated delight from director Wes Anderson. In 1965, on a New England island, a 12-year-old Boy Scout and a local girl elope. Her bickering parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), his stuffy scoutmaster (Edward Norton) and the milquetoast local sheriff (Bruce Willis) launch a hunt. And the island is about to be battered by the mother of all storms. Jam-packed with visual gags, "Moonrise Kingdom" is a family-movie heartwarmer like no other.
2 Atina Diffley's memoir "Turn Here Sweet Corn" is a great, absorbing read, even for those of us who cannot grow anything and do not worry about pesticides. It's a classic tale of the little guy fighting the big corporation and of people working hard all their lives only to face the loss of their livelihood. There's a sweet love story in there, too. And the author is one of us -- the Diffleys from Eagan, who battled the Koch Refinery's plan to build a pipeline straight through their field of kale. Diffley will read at 2 p.m. Saturday at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater.
3 Yeah, so you can't get Prohibition-era cocktails at downtown Minneapolis' new Prohibition-themed bar. Apparently, the Pourhouse prefers colorful vodka cocktails and beer. Still, we're impressed with the bar's commitment to the bootlegging aesthetic. Tops on our list is the hidden door in a bookcase, which leads to an intimate bar in the back -- which, in turn, leads to another secret door that opens to the back alley patio. Dillinger would be proud, even if he couldn't order an Old Fashioned. www.thepourhousempls.com
4 Long-simmering Canadian electro-pop quartet Metric could be the latest indie favorite to boil over into the mainstream with its fourth album, "Synthetica" (out Tuesday). Frontwoman Emily Haines purrs and pouts her way through such sexy synth-grinding numbers as the single "Youth Without Youth." She also shows great flair for softer, ethereal, rainy-day pop, notably "Breathing Underwater." The latter was the highlight of a taped appearance at the 89.3 the Current studios last week, which airs Tuesday at 5 p.m.
5 Cedar Cultural Center has declared it "African Summer." The award-winning Minneapolis music room -- named best world-music venue this year by about.com -- will present eight acts this summer from various African countries. Next up are Senegal's Viviane N'Dour on June 20, outspoken South African veteran Johnny Clegg on July 12 and the all-star Wake Up Madagascar on July 13. Not to be missed on Aug. 7 are the fantastic Amadou & Mariam, a blind Malian couple who have opened for U2 and Coldplay. www.thecedar.org
