Honor brightens this dark night

Heath Ledger has been dead for nearly a full year now. In some ways, though, he’s more alive than ever.

The DVD release of his final film, “The Dark Knight,” comes to stores today.

And on Saturday, Ledger’s family accepted an Australian film industry award on his behalf. Ledger, who died last January at age 28 of what has been called an accidental drug overdose, was posthumously given the Australian Film Institute’s international award for best actor for his role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

His father Kim Ledger, mother Sally Ledger and sister Kate Ledger accepted the award.

“We are so proud of him and humbly accept this award on behalf of his beautiful daughter, who we will cherish forever,” Kate Ledger said, referring to Matilda, her late brother’s 3-year-old daughter with actress Michelle Williams.

Many critics believe Ledger’s “Dark Knight” performance has a solid chance for a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

“It was this swaggering, psychopathic clown that turned his career into a legacy and the name Heath Ledger into an ongoing inspiration to actors everywhere,” the Australia Film Institute said at the awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Quiet bark, big bite

Oscar winning-actor Jamie Foxx thinks he’s come up with the perfect First Canine for President-elect Barack Obama and his family.

“(I’m) trying to pick out Barack Obama’s Christmas puppy right now, so we’re working hard on that,” Foxx said. “I think I’m going to get him a pitbull, we just got to keep it street.”

He can’t Bear sitting still

On the Discovery Channel’s “Man vs. Wild” series, star Bear Grylls, 34, bounces around like a 5-year-old on a sugar high. That may be how he suffered a shoulder injury during a recent expedition to Antarctica. The British personality headed home for medical treatment and assessment of the injury’s severity.

‘Four Christmases’ No. 1 again

Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn and “Four Christmases” finished No. 1 for the second straight weekend, pulling in another $18.2 million, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

“Twilight,” the teen vampire flick, finished in second place, earning $13.2 million, leaving third to the animated “Bolt” with $9.7 million.

Rock me, baby, all night long

The New York Post reported Sunday that three rocker offspring will appear nude on the cover of next month’s British Tatler magazine.

Don’t get excited, though. The contorted “Rock Babes” pose of Kimberly Stewart (daughter of Rod Stewart), Leah Wood (daughter of Ron Wood) and Peaches Geldof (daughter of Sir Bob Geldof) reveals little.

The birthday bunch

Actor Kirk Douglas is 92. Actor-writer Buck Henry is 78. Actress Judi Dench is 74. Actor Beau Bridges is 67. Singer Dan Hicks is 67. Football player-turned-actor Dick Butkus is 66. Actor Michael Nouri is 63. Singer Joan Armatrading is 58. Actor Michael Dorn (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) is 56. Actor John Malkovich is 55. Singer Donny Osmond is 51. Actress Felicity Huffman is 46. Singer-guitarist Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers is 39. “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi is 38.