Uganda has been in the news lately. You may have missed it, but last month President Obama ordered 100 troops (almost entirely in an advisory capacity) to Uganda to help the government to suppress the ultra-violent Lord’s Resistance Army (the LRA). The LRA has been destabilizing and terrorizing Uganda for years, abducting and forcing into military service children. Refuse and they cut off your nose, your ears, your hands, or simply kill you. Uganda’s history is one of colonial oppression, brutal strongmen (Idi Amin), and perpetual civil war, and the LRA is symptomatic of this larger disease.

Onto this scene comes “breakdancing!” Yes, you heard me right. Watching the new documentary “Bouncing Cats,” set to premier on the Documentary Channel November 19 (with many repeat showings), I was reminded of Cedric the Entertainer’s line in the brilliant, Spike Lee-directed The Original Kings of Comedy: he says, and I paraphrase, “Back in the day, we didn’t solve our problems with violence: we would breakdance.” Cedric then goes on –in hilarious fashion- to demonstrate how a throwdown in a dance club might go.

This same idea, that dancing can bring peace and bridge divides, is at the center of “Bouncing Cats,” which details the efforts of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU) to heal the wounds that run so deep in this central-African nation and to get kids focused on a worthwhile endeavor.

The documentary features narration by the rapper-poet ‘Common’ and follows the journey of ‘Crazy Legs’ and his ‘Rock Steady’ crew, arguably the originators of breakdancing in the United States in the 1970s, as they travel to Uganda to link up with BPU founder ‘Abramz’. Crazy Legs tours the slums of cities in both the North and the South of Uganda. Compared with his poor youth in the Bronx, he finds the depravity in Uganda “hellish.”

Interspersed with Crazy Legs’ travels are interviews with war victims, BPU figures, and expert commentary. The mise en scene of the film is itself hip-hoppy. Throughout the documentary, we jump back and forth between static and stock footage to grainy, cinema verite-style shots of Uganda’s slums and its more appealing countryside. Throughout, we see Crazy Legs and Abramz teaching kids about the hip-hop culture and the finer points of breakdancing moves, and we learn that the title of the film — “Bouncing Cats” — is the phrase, used in staccato-like fashion, to simulate a beat when no music is available. Say “bouncing cats” ten times quickly and you will understand.

The main question for me is: ultimately, where can something like BPU go? Programs that teach under-privileged kids, golf, for instance, in America help youth to comprehend that it takes discipline, devotion, and concentration — and keeping your nose clean — to succeed in sport. Learn those lessons with golf and even if you don’t make it to the PGA, you’ll succeed in whatever avocation or occupation you embrace. But in America, contrary to what those in the ‘Occupy’ movement claim, there is opportunity. Your efforts can pay off. You may not be part of the 1 percent –whatever that really means– but you can carve out a good life.

Is that true in Uganda? You can learn to dance, understand your adversary, and stay out of trouble, but to what end? Dancing didn’t end the United States Civil War (massive force did), and it took another 100+ years to end racial segregation and oppression in America. I was truly moved by the idealism this documentary captured and by all measures it’s a well-made film, but can BPU itself survive and affect substantial change? View “Bouncing Cats” and decide for yourself.

I confess I know almost nothing about the music group Kings of Leon. The name rings a bell, as if I’ve heard it somewhere, but I couldn’t name one of their songs or even in what genre they play. No longer! The just-released documentary, “Talihina Sky is the story of Kings of Leon,” details the rise of the Grammy-winning band from roots in poor, Bible-Belt Oklahoma and Tennessee to global fame and success as progressive/alternative rockers.

In some ways, it was refreshing to be ignorant of the band and anything about them. I brought no per-conceived notions about the topic to the film, and thus my reaction was purer than it would be, say, if I were to watch a new Michael Moore (whom I believe to be a rank liar) documentary.

An old film school professor of mine divided documentaries into two camps, the “autocratic” and the “democratic.” The autocratic documentary is one in which the filmmaker manipulates and directs the viewer’s point of view to provoke a certain outcome. Michael Moore is the essence of the autocratic documentarian, for he essentially produces propaganda (can you tell I don’t like his work?). Other documentaries present a subject then take a step back, and, in democratic fashion, allow the viewer to come to his or her own conclusion. “Talihina Sky” falls securely in the democratic camp.

Appropriately enough, within this “democratic” model, I found myself viewing the film in different ways at different times. “Talihina Sky” derives its name from the town of Talihina, Okla. where a few of the members of Kings of Leon hailed from. The documentary never lets us forget the origin of these musicians: they were dirt poor and Christian. Thus, my first reaction was that the documentary was what some wags call “poverty porn.” If the tone of the movie wasn’t mainly serious, I would have thought I was watching a Jeff Foxworthy performance. “You might be a Redneck if…” could be applied at every turn in this doc: there is plenty of kitchen and bathroom appliances in the front yard, splashing in the creek, drinking and guns, shirtless men, and all sorts of kooky behavior.

However, the band members themselves are the executive producers of the documentary, so it’s not as if they were ambushed by someone wishing to mock them and their origins. Any wounds in Talihina Sky are self-inflicted, and later on in the film I came to see it more in line with the great documentary about the heavy metal band Metallica, titled Some Kind of Monster. Some Kind of Monster is intensely introspective, detailing the band’s struggles with addiction, creative conflicts, and family.

Like the Metallica doc, “Talihina Sky” shows a music group trying to come to grips with its identity. The Kings of Leon, at the same time, wish to pay homage to and escape their background. I’m not sure if this film will appeal to those who are not fans of the group, but if you do happen to see “Talihina Sky” you will be impressed by not only the technical competence of the film, but also its ability to convey the joy and the pain of rising from humble and dysfunctional origins to worldwide fame and adulation.

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The creator of The Boondock Saints announced the pre-sale of his new documentary “Off The Boulevard,” which he produced with Santo Films.

Troy Duffy describes his new film as “an interesting and educational behind-the-scenes look at the struggles fellow independent artists go through in pursuit of their dreams.”

The film follows seven artists (two musicians, two filmmakers, two actors and one comedian) who become friends through a shared struggle to succeed in art industry

“It gives us an inside look at the tough lives of some up-and-coming independent artists.  As we watch them fight their way through the industries of music and film, we glean words of wisdom from successful veterans of the entertainment business,” said Duffy.

Industry greats such as Peter Fonda, Gilby Clarke and Eddie Vedder offer advice and insight throughout the film.

“Off The Boulevard” is available for pre-order at santofilms.com and BoondockSaints.com for $14.99 through September 7.

Having seen the (so-called) documentary "I’m Still Here," I still don’t know for sure whether Joaquin Phoenix’s abrupt retirement from acting to launch a hip-hop career is a hoax, or if "J.P." is just off-balance, insulated and delusional.

I do know two things: 1. This film was made expressly so we’d continue to contemplate the question, and 2. After sitting through it, I’d be glad to never see Joaquin Phoenix again.

The particular Joaquin Phoenix character that this film concerns was first introduced in a 2009 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Dressed like a Blues Brother, with black suit and dark shades, he sported the long unkempt hair and bushy beard of a vagrant—a sharp contrast to the chiseled jaw line featured in "Two Lovers," the film he had come, supposedly to promote. Instead of doing so, he announced to Letterman that he was retiring from acting all together, a decision he seemed surprised to have to explain or justify, and that he would be focusing his efforts on a hiphop career.

More surprising than this announcement was his complete lack of a sense of humor about it. Clearly sensitive to the idea that he might be mocked for his efforts, he appeared chilly and withdrawn, chomping on gum, speaking in monosyllabic mumbles and answering all questions about his last film or his future with sneering disdain.

Rumors that this was some sort of hoax, an elaborate publicity stunt, spread through the entertainment press immediately, and peaked when it was learned that Phoenix’s friend and brother-in-law, Casey Affleck was working on a documentary about his shocking career move.

The entirety of "I’m Still Here" thrives on the uncertainty. Like "The Blair Witch Project," "Borat," (the short-lived) "K-Street" and much of reality television, it’s about guessing which parts are real and which are staged, and working out the implications of each contingency.

Phoenix is clearly as complicit as can be in this film, which begins and ends with pointed home movies from his childhood. He is always aware of the camera. The character he creates, or allows to be revealed, is appalling. Expending far more t energy passionately yet incoherently defending his hiphop career than making or practicing songs, he appears paranoid, boorish, overweight and overbearing. Affleck’s lens catches Phoenix abusing his entourage, overindulging in booze, weed and cocaine, ordering prostitutes off of the Internet, brawling with hecklers, vomiting backstage at a gig, and basically failing spectacularly and with naive surprise whenever he is presented with an opportunity for success or redemption.

The film doesn’t have much of an arch; It’s a pretty much a flat line of ugly flailing. The only thing keeping it alive is the ever-present questions: if this is real, how did it happen? Why would Phoenix allow himself to be shown in such an unsympathetic light? How can Affleck dare to profit off it? If it’s fake, what could be the point? Who is the joke supposed to be on? Where could Phoenix imagine himself going next?

No matter how these questions are answered, the problem with the film is that it fails the test of any piece of post-modern, conceptual art: is it still compelling without the artist’s statement? Is it as worth looking at as it is considering?

At a Russian naval base in the 1990s, potatoes were more tightly guarded than highly enriched uranium. This is one of the many unnerving facts in director Lucy Walker’s “Countdown to Zero,” a documentary that seeks to raise awareness of an issue that we stopped talking about after the Cold War, but that never went away: nuclear proliferation.

The film, produced by Oscar-winner Lawrence Bender, whose long list of notable films includes “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Inglourious Basterds,” gives us an inside look at how easy it is for terrorists to make and transport highly enriched uranium and plutonium and nuclear weapons. We are told some facts most of us already know: how quickly these weapons can travel across the world when launched, how widespread their deadly effects could be, and that the president would have to decide within mere minutes how to react before evacuating to safety. But what makes the film fresh and fascinating are the facts that most people don’t know, including how close we have come to nuclear disasters in recent years. It emphasizes how urgent of an issue this really is, even though our kids are no longer hiding under their desks at school in anticipation of “the bomb.”

Brilliantly framed by JFK’s famous 1961 address before the General Assembly of the UN, the film explores the three ways we could have a nuclear disaster: by “accident or miscalculation or by madness.” The film’s most startling facts are about the close calls we’ve had that had nothing to do with terrorists. In 1961, for example, a B-52 broke apart over North Carolina, and two nuclear bombs fell. One of the bombs nearly exploded, but didn’t thanks to one safety switch–the other five malfunctioned. Also chilling is what happened in 1995. A rocket launched by the US to study the Northern Lights was mistaken by Russian officials to be four nuclear warheads. Thankfully, then-President Boris Yeltsin’s instincts told him that Russia was not under attack, and a possible World War III was averted.

The film features interviews with big names, including former spy for the CIA Valerie Plame Wilson, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, former US President Jimmy Carter, and former USSR General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The film’s many high-profile sources come to the same conclusion: that we must eradicate nuclear weapons. But is that even possible? The film does a powerful job of convincing us why this should be, but does not answer how. Wouldn’t all countries secretly hoard nuclear weapons just in case another country used one against them? But perhaps the questions the film raises and does not answer are part of its purpose: to spark a discussion. “An Inconvenient Truth” was more than a wake-up call, as there are ways we can actually do something about global warming: for example, by driving cars that get better gas mileage or by turning off lights that aren’t in use. But unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about the issues raised in “Countdown to Zero,” so the movie acts as a hair-raising eye opener, but leaves us helpless and shivering in our boots.

No matter your political persuasion, this film unites us all in recognizing the urgent need to rid the world of its nuclear weapons. Now we just have to figure out how, and in the meantime hope that the “countdown” is to zero nuclear weapons in the world and not to the moment a nuclear device explodes.

“In Search of Memory,” a film by Petra Seeger chronicling neuroscientist Eric R. Kandel’s life and work, examines how one man escaped from Nazi oppression to become what one student in the film calls, "the rock star of neuroscience."

Raised in Vienna during the onset of World War II, Kandel and his Jewish family were ripped from their home by Nazi officers just after his ninth birthday. The incident left Kandel with questions he would spend the rest of his life answering through science:

What motivates us? What makes us remember certain events over others? And how does memory define us as human beings?

"I wanted to understand how cultivated, intelligent people could listen to Heiden, Mozart and Beethoven one day," he says, "and kill Jews the next."

Seeger seamlessly combines Kandel’s own recollections with archival World War II footage and old photographs. The result is a film that is part biography and part history, and an intimate glimpse into the life of one of the world’s most influential and captivating scientists.

The film takes viewers through Kandel’s childhood up through his Nobel Prize win in 2000 for his work in understanding how memories are recorded and stored in the brain.

Kandel, never without a bowtie or Muppet-sized grin, is the reason the film is must-see for science and history enthusiasts. His ability to explain complicated brain processes makes the science of the film understandable. His charm and subtle comedy make his extraordinary experiences relatable. Kandel possesses the key quality of all of the best teachers—an ability to teach viewers about the meaning of life outside of the classroom.

“In Search of Memory” will open Friday at the Kendall Square Cinema. Advance tickets are available online for $10 general admission, $8 for students.

Oscar winning documentary "The Cove" is going to provide the basis for a new television show on Animal Planet, according to Entertainment Weekly. The show will be focused on the controversial dolphin trade in Japan.

“The Cove” tells the story of an annual rite in Taiji, Japan, where fisherman sell dolphins into captivity or kill them for meat. As depicted in the film, the practice is cruel and the dolphin meat contains risky levels of mercury. The series will pick up where the movie left off and also stars animal activist Ric O’Barry. Two episodes of the series have already been completed, although a premiere date has yet to be announced. The series may premiere in the fall, according to Animal Planet, after “The Cove” debuts on TV this summer. O’Barry’s son Lincoln is the executive producer of the show.

The show will address questions that fans of the film may have wondered about, says the Discovery Channel. Issues that may be addressed include whether or not the slaughter continues and whether the Japanese still unknowingly eat dolphin meat with high levels of mercury.

“What has happened now is that they’re not killing dolphins in the cove; they’ve moved offshore,” O’Barry said. “They’ve created an artificial cove out of nets, and they drive the dolphins in there and kill them so we can’t photograph it. But we have some drones and small planes and things to prove it.”

Animal Planet president Marjorie Kaplan is supportive of the show, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Ric and Lincoln O’Barry are fascinating men with an important mission and remarkable stories to share,” she told the paper. “We’re delighted to be working with them on their next project.”

The Japanese government expressed a different opinion in a press release issued on Sunday, according to the Miami Herald.

“There are different food traditions within Japan and around the world,” the government said in the statement. “It is important to respect and understand regional food cultures, which are based on traditions with long histories.”

You’re going to learn a little something about Vogue editor Anna Wintour by watching “The September Issue.” She is supposedly the inspiration for “The Devil Wears Prada.” She’s dense, fierce, complex and a damn good editor, but everyone in lifestyle journalism already knew that.

However, what you really need to learn from watching “The September Issue” is how big an impact that journalism has on your life, whether you know it or not and whether you like it or not.

There’s no shortage of idiots cheering the downfall of the American newspaper and more recently the American magazine. Watching R.J. Cutler’s documentary, it’s clear that the focus is less on a biographical swooning over Wintour and more on making people understand the impact that she “" and thus her magazine “" has on people’s regular lives. (There IS, of course, a great scene in “The Devil Wears Prada” about the color cerulean that sums this up nicely)

The September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine was a monumental 800+ page undertaking during the peak of the fashion year. The documentary, made over eight months, chronicles the making of the issue, largely through the eyes of Wintour and her polar opposite, the magazine’s creative director, Grace Coddington.

Wintour is cold, businesslike and very calculating in the film. Coddington is fluffy, artsy and emotional. The pairing works well for Vogue, and we see the two of them butting heads and getting frustrated on their way to a mega-magazine.

Wintour is the focus of the film, as is seen through the opening montage of fashion icons referring to her as a goddess. And it’s true. Things happen in the world of fashion because she wills them to be so.

That’s the movie. Sure, there’s a telephone book sized September 2008 issue being made in the background, but “The September Issue” shows in intricate detail what journalism “" particularly the always underestimated lifestyle journalism “" means to society.

Not to be left out is what Coddington adds to the flick. The red-haired Welshwoman couples heart to Wintour’s brains as she travels the world setting up glamorous photo shoots with supermodels only to have some of her favorite shots rejected. Frustrated, she rolls with it and schedules more photographs. The two woman enjoy a teenage brother-esque relationship of constantly challenging each other, but instead of football, it’s fashion.

“I think I know when to stop pushing her” Coddington says. “She doesn’t know when to stop pushing me.”

The documentary is well done. It’s nicely edited with good camera movements and even a catching soundtrack,

But wait, there’s more.

While it’s easy to picture Meryl Streep barking away at her underlings, the documentary does a good job showing us that Wintour is still a person, a woman and a mother, even while she’s rejecting $50,000 worth of photography after looking at it for six seconds.

In one of the most poignant scenes, Wintour interacts with her daughter, Bee Shaffer, who all but brags about the fact that she’s not at all interested in ever working for Vogue or ever working in fashion. The camera turns to Wintour who, while never letting down her guard or breaking into human emotion, seems to be mentally willing her daughter to stop saying that.

A bit of humanity, even from the devil.

Spike TV announced Thursday its new lineup of original programming including survival epics and plenty of reality television.

“From battling the treacherous waters of the Mississippi to battling international foes overseas, Spike’s development slate celebrates the incredible pursuits of an array of real guys geared to resonate with the Spike male-centric brand,” the network said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with some of Hollywood’s most creative minds to present a development slate that we feel will further the notion that Spike is a true destination for original programming for guys,” said Sharon Levy, senior vice president, original series, Spike TV.

Here’s what they got:

River Men

“River Men” is a new docu-series about the rough and dangerous work of the men who make their living battling the mighty Mississippi River.  Each day, these unsung heroes tow massive, football-field sized barges through the treacherous waters of the Mississippi River.  Dangers lurk around every bend, as the “River Men” pilot their huge towboats and barges through locks, dams and narrow channels under threat of collisions, smashing into bridges, groundings, breakaway barges, men lost overboard, explosions, fires and sinking.  All the while, the towboat crews battle extreme weather conditions — record-breaking floodwaters, searing heat, icy cold and dense, impenetrable fog to get thousands of tons of cargo to its final destination.  ”River Men” is produced by Gay Rosenthal Productions, with Gay Rosenthal, Paul Barrosse as executive producers and Nicholas Carprio, Jeffrey Weaver and Eric Streit as co-executive producers.

USA vs. The World

“USA vs. The World” features average Americans who do some of the roughest jobs in the world, facing off against their foreign counterparts who have the same occupation.  Each episode will feature three of the best Americans that perform a certain job and identify the country whose citizens might do it better.  The American team will then travel to the opposing team’s country in an attempt to beat the foreigners on their own turf.   For example, the best alligator wranglers from Florida take on the crocodile wranglers of Northern Australia.  ”USA vs. The World” is produced by Lighthearted Entertainment, with executive producers Howard Schultz and Michael Maddocks (“Moment of Truth,” “Extreme Makeover”).

Tank and Cobra

Tank and Cobra are an infamous, real-life bounty-hunting duo who has been catching bad guys for over ten years through their company Lightning Strike Force.  Seemingly mismatched, William “Cobra” Stubbs is a middle-aged, self-proclaimed country boy while his partner is the younger and more hip, Gregory “Tank” Camaron.  Bruce Toms (“Work Out,” “Nanny 911″) and Amy Shpall (“Work Out”) of Liberal Media and Todd Dahlke of Necessary Evil serve as executive producers.

Human Predators

An informative and compelling one-hour series that reveals, through first hand accounts, the shocking tales of the people who take lives, either professionally or criminally. Executive Produced by Digital Ranch Productions (“Dogfights,” “Murder by the Book,” “Mail Call”), with Robert Kirk and Rob Lihani as Executive Producers and Co-Executive Producer Keith Guinto.

Idiot Hall of Fame

From the hilariously, twisted brain of veteran television producer Simon Andreae (“My Shocking Story,” “Surgery Saved My Life”) and his production company, The Incubator, comes a late-night half hour series, “Idiot Hall Of Fame.”  Using real footage, the series takes a humorous look at some of the most truly idiotic actions of all time.