Year of the Dog

Winning both the "Historical Hound" and "Best in World" awards, the Corgi stars of The Queen represented in royal fashion at The Fidos. Four of the five pooches – Anna, Poppy, Megan, Alice, and Oliver – who played the part(s) were present on the red carpet in England at yesterday's event, and are pictured above with Oscar winner, Helen Mirren. The other winners included pups from Year of the Dog ("Comedy Canine"), Shooter ("Blockbuster Bowser"), and short film, Dog Flap ("Cupcake Cinema").

These awards were produced by Toby Rose, also the producer of the prestigious Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival. This event is the world's first international award ceremony exclusively for canine stars of the big screen, and marks the first time dogs have been allowed on the red carpet and into the National Film Theatre building in Southbank. Congratulations!

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

"Heroes" — Season 1
The first season of NBC's hit sci-fi drama "Heroes" is now available on DVD and it's extras-tacular. The show follows "ordinary" people who happen to have extraordinary powers (invisibility, regeneration, flight, mind reading, time travel, etc.). The 7-disc set features a good number of extras, including (but not limited to): audio commentaries, the 73-minute unaired original pilot episode (along with the option of commentary by Tim Kring), deleted scenes and a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes stuff, like a stunt featurette and a profile on artist Tim Sale. On the HD-DVD you can expect more interactive features, like something called a "genetic abilities test." If you missed this season when it was on TV (and then online), you can catch up with the DVDs before the second season begins September 24.

Three more new releases so read more

There is a comfort in having an obsession, in committing oneself entirely to something. And for every obsession, there are niche communities where that obsession is shared — and at least a few people who will deem it silly. The idea that everyone needs at least one thing to pour herself into is the theme of Year of the Dog, a cute movie with plenty of heart and poignant truthfulness.

Molly Shannon plays Peggy, a secretary whose life consists mainly of caring for her dog Pencil, so when Pencil suddenly meets his mysterious demise, Peggy's life starts to unravel. She grieves helplessly, unsure of how to fill her time. Her next-door neighbor Al (John C. Reilly) takes Peggy out on a date, though Peggy is soon repelled by his fondness for hunting. Peggy's girlish friend Layla (Regina King) thinks Peggy should be as obsessed with romance and marriage as she is and pushes Peggy to keep dating. Layla's not the only one with ideas about how to distract Peggy from her loss, though, so read more

It's hard to look at Molly Shannon without thinking of her Catholic schoolgirl character, Mary Katherine Gallagher, from "SNL" and Superstar. But with her latest project, Year of the Dog, she's looking to change all that. Shannon plays Peggy, whose world revolves around her dog, Pencil. When he suddenly passes away, Peggy feels lost at sea and needs to find something else to consume her attention. The people in her life all have different views on how she should distract herself. Her bubbly girlfriend Layla (Regina King) pushes Peggy to start dating, while cute veterinary assistant Newt (Peter Sarsgaard) urges her to adopt a new dog. Ultimately, though, Peggy has to find her own path.

First of all, Pencil is a hilarious name for a dog. Secondly, the movie's website is unusually cute and fun. Finally, the trailer is adorable, and the film looks like a strange, sweet indie flick. Watch for my review later this week when the movie comes out in limited release, and you can check out the trailer if you read more

One of my favorite things about the Sundance Film Festival is the portrait studio. Between schmoozing and talking up their movies, the casts of each film pose for a series of casual yet artful shots that are inexplicably fun to look at. Maybe there's just something about seeing people like Sienna Miller and Steve Buscemi, who star together in Interview, mugging like they're old friends.

I've collected my favorite pics so far from the festival films, including Smiley Face starring Anna Faris, Mandy Moore's Dedication, The Nines starring Elle Fanning and Ryan Reynolds, Year of the Dog with Molly Shannon and Peter Sarsgaard, John Cusack in Grace is Gone, Waitress with Keri Russell, and the awesome young cast of The Good Life (pictured above). To see the rest of the portraits, read more