This week we've had several reminders of the fact that we are indeed smack dab in the middle of awards season thanks to three batches of nominations from professional guilds.  To cap off the work week, though, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has gone ahead and released the first trailer for the 84th Annual Academy Awards.  The trailer clocks in at just about a minute, and it's an intentionally-cliche ridden mock epic that has Transformers stars Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel hunting down an elusive figure known simply as "The Host."  Along the way, the intrepid duo (a trio if you count Duhamel's mustache) encounter a couple familiar figures who help on their quest.

In District 9, the thoroughly awesome 2009 feature debut of director and co-writer Neill Blomkamp, protagonist Wikus Van De Merwe spent the majority of the film's running time doubled over in pain whilst undergoing a gruesome physical transformation before eventually ending up in some armored alien hardware for a spell.  Blomkamp is currently shooting his second film, a mysterious science fiction project titled Elysium, and the first photos from the Vancouver set have made their way online.  The blurry images suggest that, like Wikus, the hero of this new film, played by a bald Matt Damon, will endure plenty of physical discomfort and will also wear some sort of techno-suit thingie.

Most – not every, but certainly most – films in the noir tradition begin with a seedy private detective and case revolving around a beautiful woman.  In the case of The Big Bang, a PI played by Antonio Banderas takes a case to find a Russian boxer's beautiful missing ladyfriend, played by Sienna Guilory.  While the film contains many of the requisite noir ingredients, such as crooked cops (Delroy Lindo and William Fichtner) and upstanding types with dark secrets (James Van Der Beek), it also has some weird twists, including a particle physics fetishist (Autumn Reeser), an apocalyptic science experiment, and Snoop Dogg as a porno producer.  Two new clips from The Big Bang provide some snappy dialogue and action.  Take a look and get a taste of the lunacy.

The lucky lads and ladies over at Cinemablend have exclusively premiered the first trailer for The Big Bang, a super-stylized noir story starring Antonio Banderas as a private eye in over his head.  If you're not interested yet, then perhaps these actor-stats will change your mind: Snoop Dogg as a porno director; Sam Elliott as a long haired, possibly crazy billionaire; Autumn Reeser as a particle physics fetishist; William Fichtner and Delroy Lindo as brutal detectives; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's primary McPoyle Jimmi Simpson as a physicist; and last but certainly not least, James 'The Beek' Van Der Beek as a self-involved movie star.  Get your daily dose of crazy by checking out the trailer right here.

Patrick Lussier’s latest directorial task will feature the ultra versatile (you see what I did there) Nicolas Cage, as he tracks down the men who murdered his daughter in the upcoming Drive Angry 3D.

The film is scheduled for release on February 11, 2011, and if nothing else looks to promise butt loads of action.

The script was written by Lussier and Todd Farmer, and stars Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Katy Mixon, William Fichtner and David Morse.

Check out the full plot details for Drive Angry 3D followed by the film’s promotional poster and a brand new trailer below.

Synopsis: DRIVE ANGRY stars Nicolas Cage as Milton, a hardened felon who has broken out of hell for one last chance at redemption. Intent on stopping a vicious cult who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice her baby beneath a full moon.

He’s joined by Piper (Amber Heard) – a young, sexy waitress who liberates her ex-boyfriend’s cherry-red muscle car in order to help Milton. Now, the two of them are hot on the trail of the deadly leader of the cult, Jonah King (Billy Burke), who believes it is his destiny to use the baby to unleash hell on earth.

But the bloodthirsty cult is the least of Milton’s problems. The police are after him too. And worse, an enigmatic killer known only as “The Accountant” – who has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to hell. With wicked cunning and hypnotic savagery, the Accountant will relentlessly pursue Milton at high speed across the country until his mission is accomplished.

Fueled by high octane and pure rage, Milton must use his anger to go beyond all human limits to avenge his daughter’s murder, before his last chance at redemption is revoked.