all day: Movies

Neurotic, angst-ridden, paranoid. Not the usual adjectives that come to mind when describing superheroes. Let’s just say that the characters in the new action-comedy “Mystery Men” have more in common with Woody Allen than the Man of Steel. But what else would you expect from a cast that includes Ben Stiller, Paul Reubens, Janeane Garofalo, Hank Azaria and William H. Macy?

* “Mystery Men,” rated PG-13 for comic action violence and crude humor, opens Friday in wide release.

8:30 & 10 pm: Jazz

Lately, international audiences have been finding out what Southern Californians have known all along: Barbara Morrison is a first-rate jazz vocalist--a little bit Etta James, a little bit Billie Holiday. The blues and ballad singer combines the raunchy and the heartfelt when she opens a two-night stand at Hollywood’s best jazz club.

* Barbara Morrison, Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. $12. Also Saturday, 8:30 and 10 p.m. (323) 466-2210.

8 pm: Theater

British actor-writer-director Steven Berkoff (“Kvetch”) performs the American premiere of his one-man show, “Shakespeare’s Villains, a Masterclass in Evil,” exploring such characters as Iago, Shylock, Richard III, Coriolanus and the Macbeths.

* “Shakespeare’s Villains, a Masterclass in Evil,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Friday, 8 p.m. Regular schedule: Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m., except Aug. 29, 2 p.m. only. Ends Sept. 12. $18.50 to $22.50; Friday opening, $25. (310) 477-2055.

8:30 pm: Music

Film composer Jerry Goldsmith conducts a program of his own scores when he leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in weekend programs called “Movie Music Magic,” featuring selections from, among others, “Star Trek: Insurrection,” “Mulan,” “Chinatown” and “Air Force One.”

* “Movie Music Magic,” Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. 8:30 p.m. $3 to $100. Also, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (323) 850-2000.

12:15 pm: Television Museum

Before Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce’s comedy act was a lightning rod for controversy. Some of Bruce’s television appearances have survived and make up “Two Five-Letter Words: Lenny Bruce,” a 90-minute program screening at the Museum of Television & Radio. Bruce’s appearances on “The Steve Allen Show” in the late ‘50s and ‘60s are among the highlights of this presentation, which runs through Oct. 3. One of the segments from “The Steve Allen Show” never aired on television because it was deemed too controversial.

* “Two Five-Letter Words: Lenny Bruce,” the Museum of Television & Radio, 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. Screenings at 12:15 p.m. Fridays-Sundays and at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. Museum admission: $6; senior citizens and students, $4; under age 13, $3. (310) 786-1000.

noon: Festival

For three days, the community of Watts celebrates itself with what is considered California’s oldest African American cultural festival. “The Best of Times: A Look Back at Our History” is the theme for the 33rd Annual Watts Summer Festival. The event, which is free, will include music, art exhibitions, food, games as well as a film festival, a fashion show and a custom car show.

* 33rd Annual Watts Summer Festival, Watts Labor Community Action Committee, 10950 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, noon-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Free. (323) 789-7304 or https://www.wattsfestival.org.

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FREEBIES: The International Family Festival will include entertainment and food booths, Westchester Recreation Center, 7000 W. Manchester Ave., L.A. 5-10 p.m. (310) 670-7473. Also Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Harmonica player Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues Band with string quartet appears at the California Plaza, 300 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.. Noon and 8 p.m. (213) 687-2159.