Entertainment Today: Showbiz news

KIRK AND MICHAEL TOGETHER -- FOR THE FIRST TIME

According to a report in Daily Variety, Michael Douglas and Kirk Douglas will make a movie together -- the first time the Oscar-winning actor and his screen legend dad have worked together on the big screen.

The project is "Smack in the Puss," described as a black comedy about three generations of a bickering family trying to settle their differences and behave like a family. Variety reports that Michael Douglas' 23-year-old son, Cameron, is likely to join his dad and granddad in the cast.

Michael Douglas told Variety he decided to postpone "Till Death Do Us Part" with Billy Crystal so he could make this movie with his father, largely as a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"A lot of this came out of Sept. 11, which has made everyone question their life's priorities," Douglas said. "If you have a rare opportunity to work with people you know in an appropriate project, you take it. I realized this offered the perfect chance to finally do a picture with my father."

Michael Douglas said he and his father had come close " couple of times" but had never been able to agree in the past on a movie they could make together. "He is pretty picky and so am I," said the star of "Wall Street," "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct."

"We've found a lovely script that's not simply us venting our demons," he said. "There are great parts here."

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

WHEN ART IMITATES LIFE

Just as George Bush has been declared the winner of Florida in yet another media-generated recount, news comes from Hollywood that

Yet another election recount may be in the offing.

Valerie Harper, better known to America as "Rhoda," was recently defeated in her bid for the presidency of the Screen Actors Guild, losing to Melissa Gilbert by 1,588 votes. Now Harper, joined by Treasurer-elect Kent McCord (Jim Reed on "Adam-12") and Recording Secretary-elect Elliott Gould are challenging the results, arguing that major discrepancies in the election process, including problems with the design of some of the ballots, may have distorted the results.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Harper repeatedly stressed that her intentions are not to overturn the results but rather to ensure that the election process is cleaned up."

The Harper campaign has not indicated whether they will retain the services of Gore recount attorney David Boies as they move through the challenge phase.

(From UPI's Capital Comment)