Daily News from New York, New York • 77

7 Si. nt 'Jungle Warriors' radiation breath likes Fay Wray ninr fhnn Mrn1 TTlOTe Man Meryl give as good as they got, dishing out hot lead to a small army of leering malefactors. Withal, highly recommended, though, in the Phantom's opinion, "Jiggle Warriors" would have been a more accurate title. COMING DCTILACTIONS Getting together "Private Scenes," a play by Joel Homer, begins performances at 8 tonight at Theater Guinevere (15 W. 28th 686-1470).

This is a comedy-drama about New York, men, women and the struggle for intimacy, the producers say. (We presume it is not set on a rush hour is about the struggle for non-intimacy.) The light touch The Western Wind, a vocal ensemble, is presenting a program, "A Musical Solstice Celebration." at 8 tonight at Merkin Concert Hall (129 W. 67th 362-8719). There will be medieval. Renaissance Streep and thinks Richard Attenbor-ough can't hold a candle to Roger iCorman.

He watches i ters, not at screenings and he cares more about the quality of the popcorn than the tilt of the camera. Today, the Phantom of the Movies begins covering the neighbor- i hood theater, B-flick he may be sitting next to you TZT Bs9 JfiHflfi A- i 1 my At movies in real thea- beat. Watch for him The gals' misfortunes begin when their coke-sniffing art directorchape rone (ex-evangelist Marjoe Gortner) spots a "killer location" for a jungle fashion shoot That phrase proves all too prophetic when their private plane lands a grenade's throw away from blow mogul Smith's flake factory. Following a full quota of torture scenes, slashings, shootings, i lit JL Sr i I I cai itches-caii 'em LLJ what you will, they're a breed fast fariini? frrm th Fun City scene. When I was growing up in Queens In the '50s and '60s, there were no fewer than nine count'em nine movie houses within a mile of my block.

A recent iiixx jx iiiv uiui.il let. cut visit to the old neighborhood revealed that only one lonely theater remained, and that had degenerated into, a shoddy, X-rated dive. Of the other eight, half had been con verted into churches of va- nous denominations, a de- partment store, a parking lot, a medical office, and a rifle range claimed the rest BIJOU OF THE MONTH One notable exception to this troubling trend is the Drake, at 63d Woodhaven in Rego Park. While most of its Queens counterparts have either gone with the twin or closed altogether, the Drake not only survives but holds the line on its double-feature policy and, even more or, in this case, less the Drake charges but one fast buck admission during the week, and $2 on weekends. The Drake relies mostly on action fare the Phantom caught the actioner "Jungle Warriors' on a bill with "Ten Violent Women" (nine more than he has at home).

Some of the pix may be a bit long in the sprockets, but whaddaya want for a dollar? The theater itself is an itch aficionado's dream, from the semicircular Art Deco marquee to the refreshingly large screen and ample if not exactly plush seating. The hot buttered popcorn is of first-run quality and the help nothing if not friendly. (When the Phantom came up a quarter short, a count ergirl kicked in the differ ence.) The Drake is enough to lure the laziest video from bright lights of the liv- junkie tne jr ine room nacK to me nostai- gic darkness of the pit Closed the last 10 days for its annual Christmas cleanup, the Drake reopens tomorrow same price, same policy with "Supergirr and a still-to-be-announced cult feature (what's life without I JUNK-MOVIE I OF THE WEEK While Jungle Warriors is no Terminator the best junkmovie in years, with Arnold Schwarzenegger brilliantly typecast as a muscle- bound robot it at least delivers the action promised in its Mondo Tohor. So you thought Godzilla, had reached mandatory retirement age (in his case, roughly 2,000,000) and limped off to the old monsters' home? Well, you are wrong, radiation-breath. The Big has just hit Japanese theaters after a nine-year sabbatical and is ican distributor so that he can lumber to our shores sometime in '85.

And speaking of junk flicks (as when are we also due out in '85 are such iiieinurauiy moniCKerea movies as Morons From Outer Space, Freaky Fairy Tales, Hard Rock Zombies, Toxic Avenger, and Voyage of the Rock Aliens (starring Pia Zadora, Jermaine Jacson and Ruth Sequel And Ye Shall Find. Those who didn't get it the first time can look forward to Hercules II, Ninja III, The Howling II, The Hills Have Eyes Part 2, Death Wish 3, The Terminator II, The Exterminator 2, Laserblast II, Poltergeist II, Nightmare on Elm Street II, and Joe II (wherein hardcore 1970 hippie-hater Peter Boyle resurfaces in today's yuppie-run world). HOLIDAY SLEAZIN That controversial Christmas splatter movie Silent Night, Deadly Night, which had aroused the ire of parents who didn't appreciate the flick's depiction of Santa as an ax-wielding psycho, has been quietly put to sleep by its distributor, Tri Star Pictures. Cable and videocas-sette rights have already been sold, however, so we may not have seen the last of this homicidal St Nick. Last year, a similar-themed gore gala.

Yon Better Watch Out, came and went without much notice, probably because its promo budget didn't allow for ex- pensive offensive TV ads. In the midst of the "Silent Night" uproar, the British Don't Open Till Christmas, directed by and starring B-movie vet Edmund Purdom, managed to sneak in and out of several local theaters sans fanfare or furor. Pic will probably be best remembered for the following inspirational verse on its ads: Twas the night before Christmasand all through the house'not a creature was stirring they were all DEAD!" Contrary to popular re ports, an Easter Bunny chainsaw Massacre is cot in 1 and American Christmas music. Chanukah sonas and this we especially like music celebrating liaht and the return of light." Vibes and vocoder Jay Hoggard on the vibes leads a quintet at the jazz club Lush Life (Bleecker and Thompson 228-3788). The group is there through Sunday and tonight's sets are at 9 and 11 If it's reggae you prefer, there is Pablo Moses and the Revolution ary Band, one night only at 10 and midnight at S.O.Bs (204 vanck St: 243-49401 Moses utilizes the vocoder, which turns the voice Into an electronic instrument Riot time Regular Riot are a comedy sextet whose alleged biographies are intent on living up to their name.

One, for instance, translates Japanese literature into Japanese." Another reportedly was fired from an candy assembly line for inadvertently turning the candies upside down and producing batches of Well, you get the idea. You can laugh it up with them tonight at 1 1 at Palsson's (158 W. 72d St: 362-2590). Studio show Studio 54 (254 W. 54th which seems to have endured at least as long as the Hun-drecLYears" War, is instituting theatrical musical evenings at what is practically a matinee for the famous disco.

The first An Evening With Julie Budd," Is tonight at 8:30. The program, which will have backup singers, dancers and an eight-piece orchestra, will include a tribute to the works of George and Ira Gershwin. (Call 947-5850 for reservations). Ernest Leogrande it Julie Budd Mm-. z.

I A Queens treasure the Drake end three Junk sequels: Boyle in "Joe If, Branson in "Death Wish 3," and Godzilla, stomping back after a nine-year slumber. fast, mindless shootout pitting an evil South American cocaine kingpin (Paul L. Smith in a Latinopsycho Sydney Greenstreet turn) and his minions (including Woody Strode, at 70 still formidable in a sleeveless T-shirt) against a gang of visiting Mafiosi (headed by B-pic vets John Vernon and Alex and the title charac ters, a foxy gaggle of gun- ads. A slow, mindless buil- toUngmdes with(bg Amer- dup eentuallyi.pa off lna.ieaa.lDreasfJs.M bondage -and de apiWrfkoitte-'girtap-ge4-4o.