Golden Collar nominee Denver as Skeletor in "50/50." 

Credit: Summit Entertainment

Are you a fan of In Contention?

Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.

Sign Up ► More Instant Alert Options ►

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
In Contention is updated

Close

Or

SIGN UP with Facebook

Sign Up ►

More Instant Alert Options ►

I've said it several times before, but it's been something of a banner year for dogs in the movies: Uggie, the dancing Jack Russell from "The Artist," may be hogging the red carpet, but the various pooches from "Beginners," "50/50," "Young Adult," "Le Havre" and "The Adventures of Tintin" all have their fans -- "Beginners" star Cosmo even landed a spot on Manohla Dargis's Best Supporting Actor wishlist. Anyway, all except the animated Snowy from "Tintin" have been recognized with nominations for the inaugural Golden Collar Awards -- with Uggie receiving twin mentions for his work in both "The Artist" and "Water for Elephants." It'll be interesting to see if he splits his vote and -- sorry, there's only so far I can go with this. But it's all good fun, and in aid of animal shelters, so cheers all round. [The Odds]

Speaking of which, the Vulture wags want the Academy voters to consider "Young Adult" for Saddest Dog. And "Drive" for Best Jacket. [Vulture]

Jason Reitman on unsettling his audience with "Young Adult," and arriving late to the joy of drinking. [The Guardian]

David Poland gathers the video interviews he's done so far with the shortlisted contenders for the foreign-language Oscar. [Hot Blog]

Alas, Mexico's "Miss Bala" is not among those contenders. Elisabeth Malkin examines the film's stand on the drug war. [New York Times]

The HFPA are very happy with Ricky Gervais's critically savaged Golden Globes performance, and want him back. We know how this will go, don't we? [THR]

Inspired by "The Artist," Francesa Steele lists the 10 greatest silent films. (No, the Oscar frontrunner is not one of them.) [The Independent]

Katey Rich explains why Channing Tatum is a really good actor. And does so without even mentioning "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints." [Cinema Blend]

Finally, an ingenious Tumblr idea from Joe Reid. Yes, all these films were, at one point, in the awards conversation. [This Had Oscar Buzz]

Guy Lodge
Critic

• Follow

Guy Lodge is a South African-born critic and sometime screenwriter. In addition to his work at In Contention, he is a freelance contributor to Variety, Time Out, Empire and The Guardian. He lives well beyond his means in London.