Homos' last chance! by MATTHEW HAYS This is the final weekend for the Image&Nation Gay and Lesbian Film Fest and if you, like me, have missed much of the week due to fatigue from various other film fests (which shall remain nameless) then don't despair. There's still plenty of worthwhile stuff to catch in the next few days. A gay Spanish feature in the vein of Almodovar can be found tonight, Thursday, Sept. 28, at 9:45 p.m. with Excuse Me Darling, But Lucas Loved Me, a film about three (very) gay roommates getting into an intense competition over their new addition to the apartment, the hottie Lucas. The Eyes of Tammy Faye, one of my favourite entries in the entire festival, screens Friday night, Sept. 29 at 5:45 p.m. Beat screens later the same night at 9:30 p.m. Courtney Love stars as Joan Burroughs, the woman who was killed in the famous game of William Tell with her husband, William. Courtney Love plays the lead in this largely overlooked bit of Beat history. (We always hear about William, but when do we ever hear about the person who actually got killed during that game?) Chutney Popcorn is Nisha Ganatra's feature debut, which airs on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:15 p.m. The story involves the sibling rivalry between two sisters, one lesbian, one straight, both vying for the attention of their overbearing mother. Things become increasingly intense when the straight married daughter learns she can't have children--and chooses to turn to her lesbian sister for help in the fertility department. Finally, Sunday will include another Queer as Folk marathon, which will include the original, the sequel and the making-of movie. All screenings are at the Parisien. For details call 926-0575. The current issue of the excellent British film mag Sight & Sound includes a free book with each issue. Great buckets of camp! The book is none other than a reprint of Ira Levin's cautionary novel, The Stepford Wives. But the best part is the introduction by Bryan Forbes, who directed the '75 film adaptation. He describes the casting challenges involved in making the movie. Apparently, Diane Keaton was originally set to take on the lead role. But hours after saying yes, Keaton phoned Forbes back to say the deal was off. Why, Forbes inquired? Keaton reported that she'd shown the script to her analyst, who in turn reported getting "very bad vibes" about the project. The role, of course, went to Katharine Ross. Quirky casting anecdotes aside, Forbes' most bizarre recollection involves the response of numerous American feminist critics of the time, who--apparently devoid of any sense of irony--felt the film was an attack on them. Forbes recalls getting attacked by a woman with an umbrella at the New York press screening. Good God, wasn't the film's feminist bent obvious? COMMENTS: mhays@mtl-mirror.com