It can be argued that the soul of horror cinema has always started and ended with independent film. Let’s face it, horror media has always been looked upon by the mainstream as an outlet for those on the fringes of society. It is only occasionally that something from our world gets out into theirs. You have your “Exorcists” and your “Silence of the Lambs”, but for every “Rosemary’s Baby” you have a million independent features (of varying quality) that go unnoticed by the masses. Without the avant garde we would never have been gifted with the blissful insanity of Frank Henenlotter or the gruesome, turbulent imagery of Herschell Gordon Lewis. The problem, however, is that independent filmmakers have always had trouble getting noticed by the masses. Relying on distributors to get their work to the people, many an independent director has gone unappreciated and buried by the system. This is a problem that the folks at IBleedIndie.com are aiming to fix with the advent of their new digital streaming service.
Launched amid a sea of other online streaming sites, some specifically geared toward horror cinema, I Bleed Indie hopes to capitalize on the ala carte mentality that users have grown accustomed to in this digital age. With services like Shudder, and Screambox nipping at the heels of the big boys, Netflix and Amazon, I Bleed Indie aims to set itself apart by offering independent filmmakers a direct line to their audience and bypassing distributors altogether.
Launching with over 100 feature films with a promise of more on the way the site is off to a roaring start. Features are available to rent for a 72 hour period for only 3 dollars with short films being offered for a mere 1 dollar! They also have digital downloads available for select films.
With the promise that filmmakers will retain 90% of the revenue from their films, I Bleed Indie certainly has stepped up in allowing true independent horror cinema to remain just that. While services like Shudder and Screambox are bringing obscure and rare horror cinema from the past to the masses, I Bleed Indie has come out on the forefront to try and bring tomorrow’s next horror legends to you today. So go on over and take a look into the future at IBleedIndie.com
