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MAKING A 'FACE'

I'd like to thank you guys for putting John Travolta and Nicolas Cage on the cover of your June 20 issue (#384) for Face/Off. At last, one movie that looks original and unpredictable (I wish I could say that about other movies this summer).
NICK DIZES
Newmarket, Ontario

In your recent article on John Woo and other Hong Kong filmmakers who are now working in the U.S. (''Hong Kong Goes Hollywood''), you neglected to mention three prominent Hong Kong directors: Ronny Yu (Warriors of Virtue), Tsui Hark (Double Team), and Ringo Lam (Maximum Risk). All three of these directors are well respected in Hong Kong (Tsui Hark produced some of Woo's most popular movies) and should bring some spark to American cinema. Their U.S. debuts may have been less than spectacular, but remember that Woo's first American movie was Hard Target.
JESSE NELSON
Collingswood, NJ

DARK NIGHTS AHEAD

As a longtime Batman fan, I enjoyed ''Does the Bat Have 9 Lives?'' But when it comes to Batman Triumphant, let's forget about the Scarecrow and bring back everybody's favorite Bat-baddie, the Joker. As good as the villains have been, Jack Nicholson's Joker has been the best. The Joker, with Harley Quinn at his side, would be the shot in the arm the franchise needs.
MICHAEL J. MORELLI
East Hartford, Conn.

After reading your article on the Batman franchise and its unpredictable future, I must admit that I too am skeptical. Tim Burton did a wonderful job with the first two, but Joel Schumacher's colorful, campy take on the Dark Knight makes me wonder why he even bothered to omit the occasional POWs and ZAPs. However, it was written in your magazine that most of the good Bat-villains have been used or will possibly be used in the fifth installment. I was very shocked to see that you left out Ra-'s al Ghu-l and the awesome Man-Bat in your list of the few left.
MATTHEW SMITH
Lizella, Ga.

Producers Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, and Paul Dini consistently put together a smarter, more stylish and faithful version of Batman in their animated TV series than Hollywood could with a $100 million motion picture. If Warner Bros. were smart, it would let them handle future Batman movies.
JAMES FORD
Ocala, Fla.

'HYDE' AND SEEK

I am writing in reply to the June 20 Broadway review of Jekyll & Hyde. Contrary to the opinion of Jess Cagle, I found this haunting portrayal anything but unsophisticated — in fact, I found it quite brilliant. With extremely demanding vocal parts and diverse music ranging from gorgeous ballads to dark and provocative numbers, the show contains not ''first-grade textbook'' lyrics but clever, and sometimes masterful, use of sung dialogue. As a lover of the theater, I encourage ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY readers to give this wonderful show a listen.
CHRIS ROHRBAUGH
Springfield, Mo.