FILM/SNEAK PEEK : STREEP WRAPS HERSELF IN MYSTIQUE.

Byline: - Bob McCarthy

With her uncanny ability to disappear into a character, Meryl Streep established herself in the '70s as a leading dramatic lady with a chameleonlike quality.

She's played rich and poor, mother and daughter, jilted wife and cheating spouse, lover and friend, criminal and whistle-blower. With so many outstanding performances to her credit, it's sometimes hard to remember Streep as much as the characters she has embodied.

Bing Theater at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is hosting a retrospective of her work starting Feb. 5.

``Kramer vs. Kramer'' (1979, for which she won her first Oscar, co-starring Dustin Hoffman) and ``A Cry in the Dark'' (1988, co-starring Sam Neill) will screen Feb. 5, ``Out of Africa'' (1985, co-starring Robert Redford) on Feb. 6. Streep, a graduate of Yale Drama School, has compiled a string of memorable performances since first gaining notice in ``The Deer Hunter.''

Other films to be shown in the February series are ``Silkwood,'' ``The River Wild,'' ``Sophie's Choice,'' ``Postcards From the Edge,'' ``Death Becomes Her,'' ``The French Lieutenant's Woman,'' ``The Bridges of Madison County'' and two current films, ``One True Thing'' and ``Dancing at Lughnasa.''

This series is made possible with the support of Universal Studios.

LACMA's Bing Theater is at 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets cost $7 general admission, $5 for museum and AFI members and students with ID. Purchase of a ticket includes admission to the museum. Call [phone] or Ticketmaster for ticket information.

Pride and joy!

With the theme of ``Infinite Imagination, the sixth Pan African Film & Art Festival opens Thursday at the Magic Johnson Theatres and the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The festival runs through Feb. 15 with actor Malcolm Jamal Warner acting as celebrity host.

Executive director Ayuko Babu explains that the theme encompasses the sheer number of exhibitions planned - 70 features, shorts and documentaries along with works from prominent and emerging artists and craftsmen. ``The entire scope of our event mandates one's infinite imagination,'' he says.

The Pan African Film Festival is the largest festival of black films in the United States, according to organizers. Along with cinema, it offers poetry, fashion and music. Last year's event drew 100,000 spectators and celebrities Sidney Poitier, Tim Reid and Blair Underwood.

Awards for best narrative feature, best documentary, best short and best student film will be handed out.

Screenings are $7.50 for adults ($4.75 after 6 p.m.) and $4.75 for seniors and children. The opening-night gala is $45. Forums, children's events, art and photographic exhibits are free. Call [phone] or [phone] for information.

`Detroit 9000' back

Director Quentin Tarantino apparently liked ``Detroit 9000'' enough to re-release this 1973 action-packed standout from the blaxploitation era.

``Detroit 9000'' is playing today through Sunday only at the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. Call [phone] for show times.

Two cops - one black, the other white - set out to discover the truth about the robbery of a politician in a racially charged atmosphere. Arthur Marks (``Friday Foster'' and ``Bucktown'') directed this tame and humor-laced production that features a soul soundtrack and ultra-hip characters.

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Photo: LACMA's Meryl Streep retrospective begins Feb. 5 with a screening of ``A Cry in the Dark.''