Damon Wayans

The movie "Batman Returns" may not have lived up to expectations -- critically or commercially -- but that hasn't dampened Hollywood's interest in the comics. At least four dozen adaptations of comics are currently in production or development for nonanimated films."It's hard to find comic characters that Hollywood isn't interested in," says Pam Rutt, publicity director of Marvel Comics. Indeed, filmmakers have optioned the rights to such Marvel characters as Spider-Man, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, the Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Ghost Rider, Thor and Blade the Vampire Hunter.

Look Who'sTalking Too'Starring Kirstie Alley and John Travolta.Directed by Amy Heckerling.Released by Tri-Star.Rated PG-13.* 1/2If you let all the air out of "Look Who's Talking Too," you'd be left with about seven minutes of not very interesting domestic drama in which John Travolta and Kirstie Alley try to outbitch each other -- not my idea of a good time, but possibly yours.The air, in this case, consists of endless close-ups of cuddly toddlers representing their children but doing nothing of note except being cuddly and drooling a lot while Bruce Willis and Roseanne Barr read extremely mild repartee into the soundtrack.

HOLLYWOOD - At the First AME Church in South-Central Los Angeles a few weeks ago, some aspiring black film entrepreneurs caught Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Co.'s Chris McGurk off-guard with a line of questioning that began: "Now that MGM has established itself as the leading urban studio ..." Only last fall, MGM was wrangling with activists offended by the studio's smash hit Barbershop, with its jabs at black icons Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. That an audience as finely attuned to community sensibilities as the First AME's was ready to see the company as a black cultural outpost surprised McGurk - who resolved to prove them right.

WHAT DO Dwayne Wayne, Theo Huxtable, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and the Wayans brothers have in common?They all wear stylish sweat clothes on their TV shows that are cut off, belted, slouchy -- the distinctive work of Baltimorean Rod Jones. Jones' silk-screened New Heritage sweats have graphic designs ranging from a Zulu warrior to a schoolboy toting books. The constant underlying it all is African-American pride."I saw a trend happening -- black awareness," says Jones, president and owner of New Heritage, his clothing company.

Four more reality series, an evening of family programming, a new night for "Angel," and a series about Clark Kent before he became Superman. Those are among the moves the WB is expected to announce today in a seriously revamped fall schedule aimed at proving there is life after the loss of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." ABC also will announce a new fall schedule today, likely featuring only two nights a week of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" while adding at least one new reality series and shows starring Jason Alexander, Jim Belushi and Kim Delaney.

Undercover Brother, an Internet cartoon series, comes to the big screen as bright live-action entertainment - a satiric salute to blaxploitation movies that turns into an engaging melting-pot comedy, albeit one filled with "Afro Slick" and hot sauce, hold the mayo. It has a premise that never stops percolating. Ever since the black pop heyday of the 1970s, a villain called The Man - yes, The Man - has plotted to expunge blacks from American culture. An intrepid individualist known as Undercover Brother (Eddie Griffin)

For those who can't imagine the immortal words "One of these days, Alice -- Pow! Right in the kisser!" being uttered by anyone other than the beloved Jackie Gleason, who immortalized the character of Ralph Kramden on the 1950s TV series The Honeymooners, don't fret. Cedric the Entertainer doesn't say them. These are different times, and Cedric's Ralph doesn't threaten his wife in the film version of The Honeymooners that opens tomorrow. Yet he and Gleason's brash New York City bus driver intersect in a big way. Cedric is the everyman everybody knows.

The Michael Kyles and the Bernie Macs live in the town of Wednesday Night Prime. Both families reside in large, fashionable homes and have adorable kids. Though they dwell on separate blocks, they are aware of each other, being the only black families in the community. Though all has been neighborly between them so far, the peaceful coexistence may end this fall, when the families will be forced to live next door to each other. Fox is moving The Bernie Mac Show, which premiered last season to critical and popular acclaim, to the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot against My Wife and Kids.

In a classic "Seinfeld" episode, Jerry is congratulating George about something he's done, saying people will remember him for it. George panics. "I don't want to be remembered," he says without hesitation. "I want to be forgotten."Too late, George.The character, played for seven seasons by Jason Alexander, has become a cult figure in our pop culture, a symbol for our time, a monument to annoying, exasperating and grossly insecure people everywhere. He also is a beacon of hope for every bald, middle-aged single guy cruising the dating highways.

"The Long Kiss Goodnight" is complete pagan entertainment: It feels as if it were written and directed by Druids after a long night of sacrificing virgins and chugging blood under the full moon out on some darkling plain.Naturally, I loved it: Completely irresponsible, utterly bereft of real-world logic, loud, unbearably violent yet undeniably fun. The best bad movie of the year, or the worst good one.Two cynics are behind it. The first is Shane Black, a screenwriter who specializes in mayhem and banter, the former always spectacular, the latter always played across a racial divide.