Homophobia unveiled by MATTHEW HAYS By now, Matthew Shepard has become a household name. The student, who was murdered in a brutal homophobic hate crime over a year ago, became a flashpoint for queers worldwide, and drew massive media attention (including the cover of Time). But as a documentary special on the excellent PBS series Frontline points out, Shepard's murder merely constitutes the tip of the proverbial iceberg. According to police officials and counsellors interviewed in the special, titled Assault on Gay America, homophobic hate crimes rose dramatically in number during the past decade. Reasons vary; some speculate the rise in crimes has to do with the higher-profile gays and lesbians assumed in the so-called gay '90s. In a case study that is equal parts fascinating and alarming, Frontline focuses on the murder of Billy Jack Gaither, an out but extremely discreet gay man who lived peacefully in small-town Alabama. That is, until a couple of locals decided Gaither had "gone too far" and decided to teach him a lesson. Gaither was viciously beaten in a murder that apparently took several hours to commit. Correspondent Forrest Sawyer handles his interviews brilliantly, asking one of the murderers (now serving a life sentence) exactly what was running through his mind when he was violently assaulting Gaither (yes, the homosexual panic defence is dredged up here, too). The victim's family members are also interviewed (he had a lesbian sister and a straight brother) and their testimony is truly poignant. Among the theories floated is the old Freudian line about homophobia emanating from homophobic self-hatred; this doc offers up some pretty solid evidence that, as suspected, gay bashers are more often than not a little bit gay themselves. Frontline's hour-long Assault on Gay America airs this Tuesday, February 15 at 10 p.m. on PBS. (Showtime is tentative as we go to press; check TV listings to be sure.) This year marks the 18th anniversary of Les Rendez-vous du cinema quebecois, the vital annual roundup of homegrown celluloid. Last year's event ran a mere seven days, while this year's has been pumped back up to ten (February 17-27). With entries like Post Mortem and Cinema Verite, the past year has again been heralded as another healthy one for the local industry. For those who missed various films from the past year, Les Rendez-vous offers an excellent opportunity to catch up. And Montreal's most excellent rep house Cinema du Parc continues to screen some eminently watchable cult oddities: apparently Alejandro Jodorowsky's works have been drawing major crowds, and with good reason. His films are utterly incredible works of subversion. Don't miss the uncut version of Santa Sangre on Friday night (Feb. 11) at midnight. If you're in a slightly sluttier mood, Russ Meyer's Up screens the same night at 11 p.m. On Valentine's Day, the Parc is offering two-for-one tickets; screenings catering to the hopelessly romantic include Casablanca and Moonstruck. : COMMENTS: matt_hays@babylon.montreal.qc.ca