With this said, it’s with some wariness that the Daily Helping clues you in on three upcoming movies that at first blush seem like terrible ideas. It’s the details surrounding these features that are actually quite intriguing.

According to Variety, Universal studios and toy giant, Mattel have moved forward with plans to create a feature film around “Barbie”.  In what clearly is a situation where the merchandise precludes the feature, the movie will capitalize on it’s worldwide brand appeal with young girls and women who had a few Malibu Barbies and Kens of their own. Apparently there’s already been live stage shows, live symphonies and other non-traditional forms of entertainment involving everyone’s favorite doll.

According to Mattel, the 50-year old (Cougar?) Barbie has 99% worldwide brand awareness, is the number one girls property in the toy industry, the top doll property in the U.S. and the number one worldwide property in the traditional toy industry.

It’s also worth mentioning that Ridley Scott seems intent on filming a live action version of the board game, “Monopoly”.  Peter Berg (The Kingdom, Hancock) is on board with “Battleship”.

One can only assume that someone is in touch with Anna Faris by now.  Laurence Mark (Julie & Julia) has been picked to produce the “Barbie” feature.  Mark said he felt “fortunate to get the job and said there is no shortage of plot possibilities, since Barbie has held more than 120 jobs over the years”.

Another film that seems ill-conceived but embraced by A-list talent is the film dramatization of the creation of Web Social monster, Facebook.  Attached to this project is no less than Daily Helping favorites, David Fincher (Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Aaron Sorkin(West Wing, A Few Good Men) who has been talking about his script for the past year. Now the cast is coming together.

Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, Squid and The Whale) will play Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerber; song and dance man Justin Timberlake will play Facebook’s founding president (and Napster co-founder) Sean Parker.

One thing is certain, this is a movie that has a built-in “friend” base.

The third movie is perhaps the most confusing of the three.  Too often a classic movie will be re-worked and released with the anticipation that there is a hunger for a re-make or the industry is bereft of original ideas.  It’s still unclear as to the motivation behind the upcoming remake of David Cronenberg’s brilliantly creepy,” The Fly” , starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Who can forget the metamorphosis of Brudlefly?

Whose the culprit on this pillaging of a contemporary horror classic? David Cronenberg himself. Apparently he’s going to not only write the movie but direct and produce the film as well.

Does this mean there were elements to the story that he wishes he thought of sooner? Do we see Viggo Mortensen climbing the walls spitting acid? It’s hard to say… and also hard to take issue when Cronenberg is involved.

Here’s hoping that we’re all pleasantly surprised by Barbie, Facebook and the Fly.

It now looks like he’s attached himself to another truly special film.  There’s plenty of positive buzz surrounding Jason Reitman’s adaptation of Walter Kirn’s novel,  Up in the Air.  It was apparently the surprise hit of the Telluride Film Festival.

George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, “a corporate downsizing expert whose life on the road is drawing to a close just as he’s about to hit  ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met his frequent-flyer soulmate. Kirn’s book is often referred to as darkly satarical in much the same way Fight Club was, but Paramount would still like you to believe this is a romantic comedy.  Despite what the  studio says, this is not a romantic comedy. It’s a hell of a lot more.

Paramount Pictures has allowed a teaser trailer for Up in the Air, which is an alternative cut by Reitman himself, specifically for the internet. The teaser is based on a speech that Bingham gives at one of his many motivational speaking gigs. One can’t help but hear Edward Norton’s character early in  Fight Club. Check this out :

The models are all referred to as Suicide Girls, and there’s nearly 2000 of them, each known by their first name or a nickname.  These aren’t Hef’s Girls Next Door. These girls are often well tattooed, pierced and sporting interesting hair styles and colors (and a few notables are quite bald).

What began as an alternative website has grown to quite a diversified industry. There are burlesque tours, dvds, radio shows and magazines. Their interviews include the likes of Deborah Harry, Bill Murry, Neal Gaiman, Nina Hartley, Dave Navarro and Woody Allen.  Their website which enjoys nearly 200, 000 unique visitors a month has columns on politics, music, film, celebrity, gaming and technology, philosophy, love and relationships, spirituality, and food. There’s more here than just pierced nipples and for that reason they boast that nearly 40% of their membership are women.

What’s with the name? The term “suicide girl” comes from the  novel, Survivor, written by Chuck Paluhniuk. He’s more widely known as the author of Choke and Fight Club.  The founders of Suicide Girls are obviously big fans. How big? Check this out…

The film adaptation of Fight Club is 10 years old. To celebrate the “girls” have gotten together for a very special pictorial. In homage to Tyler Durden and his bare knuckled comrades, the Suicide Girls have recreated a few of the more brutal scenes.  In order to see a few pictures from the series….click here.

If you’re not familiar with the name, you’re still likely a fan of his work.

Se7en, Fight Club, The Panic Room, Zodiac, The Game and Alien 3 to name a few.  He’s currently enjoying the sucess that is…Benjamin Button, which I’ve found disappointing.  (I will still  see anything he makes at this point).

There are two projects that his name has become attached to. They’re both very popular in underground circles. He’s optioned an underground comic book named, The Goon, with the possibility of bringing it to the screen in an animated form. It’s about an ultra- violent, big burly enforcer who deals with dark forces on a daily basis. Armies of zombies, that sort of thing.  The other is a graphic novel called, Black Hole which takes place in the suburbs of Seattle in the mid 70s.  We follow a group of teens who contract an STD that turns them into subtle mutants and hideous monsters. There’s already a script, apparently written by Neil Gaiman.  The fans of this comic book and graphic novel are understandably thrilled to learn that Fincher’s production company is interested.

If you’re a fan of film and the business of getting films made, then take a look at this interview with Fincher in the British online journal, .  Fincher is particularly candid and speaks not only about Button, but also about some of his work that he’s proud of and some that he truly hates.  I think you’ll find this interesting.