Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Here's a sampling of events about town that'll give you a diversion from the tradition of warm beer and hot dogs.

FILM ETC*: Starting righ at 1 pm, Cinefamily @ the Silent Movie Theatre hosts its 4th of July BBQ Blowout, with music and short film screenings. The evening’s feature is the 1976 Italian film, Jabberwalk (aka This is America). Prepared to be grossed out by America's sexual practices. There will also be a virtual fireworks show set to Hulk Hogan’s music at sunset. $12. God Bless America!

FILM: Fallen women seems to be the theme of the New Beverly Cinema’s double feature tonight. First up at 7:30 pm is the 1930 German classic The Blue Angel followed by Lola (1980). The print of The Blue Angel has been restored to celebrate Marlene Dietrich's centennial and includes Dietrich's screen test for the film. $7.

BONDAGE*: All you masters and servants out there bust out the latex and leather chaps for the Hollywood Bondage Ball at the Henry Fonda Theatre tonight. The $25 entrance fee will get you into the biggest fetish dance event in the country. Starts tonight at 9 pm and runs until 3 a.m.

MUSCLES: Today’s the day for crowning Mr. & Mrs. Muscle Beach in Venice. See all those tanned, toned and eucalyptus-oiled bodies compete for the 2008 title. The finals start at 1 p.m.

NIGHT SKY: Don't forget the fireworks all over town.

And these events we talked about earlier this week are still happening:

ANIME:Remember that the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA)’s Anime Expo® runs until Sunday afternoon at the Los Angeles Convention Center. If you like to read from back to front and you love manga and anime, then you need to spend a little time this weekend at the Convention Center. The show runs 6 pm tonight and Saturday and continues through Sunday at 3 pm. Door price is $25/day and $65 for Expo pass.

BOWL: The LA Philharmonic and Randy Newman take to the stage tonight at the Hollywood Bowl. For the next three nights, the show will be dedicated to the Dodgers’ 50th Anniversary in Los Angeles, celebrated in player appearances and music. How much more patriotic can you get than baseball, the Bowl and fireworks? Shoot just pack an apple pie in your picnic basket and you’re all set.

DANCE: Eleven Missing Days hybrid dance/theater/audio project that has all of the following -- "Doomed Love. Death. A Femme Fatale. The "contemporary dissection and chronicle of the theme of disappearance, up-ending the creative process itself." Read the rest of Benn Widdey's preview here. Tickets are $18 and the show begins at 8 tonight.

*Pencil pick of the day

Photo by ~db~ via LAist's flickr pool.