A guide to the emerging - and sometimes wacky - world of Net movies

The following roundup isn't comprehensive but is meant as a guide to the emerging - and sometimes wacky - world of Net movies. ALWAYS INDEPENDENT FILMS www.alwaysindependentfilms.com Has

Friday, July 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The following roundup isn't comprehensive but is meant as a guide to the emerging - and sometimes wacky - world of Net movies.

ALWAYS INDEPENDENT FILMS

www.alwaysindependentfilms.com

Has a library of more than 650 feature-length movies and short films. Popular shorts include Sex & the Single Guy, I Think I Cannes, The Return of the King and 2000 Fantasies. Top-rated feature-length films include The Stranger (starring Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young) and Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush.

ATOM FILMS

www.atomfilms.com

One of the top Web sites for short films. It has Amy Talkington's so-called immersive flick, The New Arrival, and also boasts alliances with directors Bernardo Bertolucci, Nicolas Roeg, Jim Jarmusch, Chris Marker and Aki Kaurismaki. Also features student films from the University of Southern California, including Electronic Labyrinth by George Lucas, the project that led to THX:1138. But it's best known for the Angry Kid animation and the serialized exploits of Bikini Bandits. Other cult favorites are Saving Ryan's Privates and an animated, interactive short that lets you battle with a foul-mouthed frog in a blender. You control the blade speed.

BIJOU CAFE

www.bijoucafe.com

Includes a rather feeble clip from the Cannes Film Festival, showing the antics of Dennis Rodman, Bridget Fonda and Dwight Yoakam. But it has a good lineup of quirky shorts: The Bel Air Witch Project, Binary Cancer Tacos, Rock & Roll Frankenstein and William Shatner Lent Me His Hairpiece. Free feature films include Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will.

BIT SCREEN

www.thebitscreen.com

An ambitious site that delivers first-run Internet films, usually two to seven minutes long. Updated weekly.

BROADCAST.COM VIDEO CHANNEL

www.broadcast.com

Home to a wide variety of programming, including Westerns, science fiction and horror. These include The Immigrant, The Rounders, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Necromancer and Night of the Living Dead. Shorts include The History of Glamour; Too High, Too Wide and Too Long and Hollywood Vice Squad.

CHANNEL Z

www.zchannel.net

Features cartoons, movies and classic television. Recent full-length movies available for downloading included The Man with the Golden Arm (Frank Sinatra) and Hercules Unchained (Steve Reeves). The TV section includes game shows from the 1950s.

CINEMA NOW

www.cinemanow.com

The screening room area offers free viewing of such feature-length films as The Doom Generation, Return of the Living Dead 3, Warlock, Capone and Beverly Hills Vampire. Also has numerous short flicks.

E SCREENING ROOM

www.escreeningroom.com

Devoted to nothing but nonfiction films, which are available for viewing and purchase.

EVEO

www.eveo.com

A San Francisco-based site that agrees to post short films that are within the bounds of good taste. Filmmakers are paid by the number of times the short is downloaded.

FILMKITCHEN

www.filmkitchen.com

Shows such independent festival fare as Loser, Hard Luck and My Sweet Killer. Rights to My Sweet Killer were recently acquired by Hollywood Video, which will make it available for rental.

FOOTAGE

www.footage.net

Lets you view sample reels of stock footage, including news reports, National Geographic videos and archival film.

HOLLYWOOD SHORTS

www.lalive.com/hollywoodshorts.com

A monthly series that provides emerging directors and writers a forum for new projects.

ICEBOX

www.icebox.com

One of the top sites for animation, geared especially toward college students. Regular features are Zombie College, Superhero Roommate, Mr. Wong and Hard Drinkin' Lincoln. Also has resources for budding animators. Allows you to submit your work.

IFILM

www.ifilm.com/main.taf

One of the best overall sites for links to film. Also has a killer lineup of shorts, including Son of Bambi Meets Godzilla; The Beckers: Cannibalism and Your Teen; and Pies Wide Shut. Other areas link you to Spike and Mike cartoons, the Queer Short Movie Awards and Urban Entertainment, focusing on short films for African-Americans.

INTERNETV

www.internetv.com

Has music videos and TV shows, but also sports a good lineup of movie trailers and short pix. Shorts include Harder Boiled, a spoof of Chinese action flicks, with boiled eggs kung fu fighting while stuck on sticks.

KKRS

www.kkrs.net

Formerly known as NetMovieMania, this site features free and pay-per-view movies. Freebies include Life With Father, My Dear Secretary, Zorro, The Third Man, The Skin Game and The River Niger. Also has Spanish films, a book-shopping area and the Internet Lifestyle Network.

MEDIATRIP

www.mediatrip.com

Best known for the short George Lucas in Love, an eight-minute spoof of Shakespeare in Love that tells of the Star Wars director's early days at the University of Southern California. But there are plenty of other creative short films available for viewing.

MPEG

www.perry.com/imb1ff/imb1ff.html

Programming from the International Bizarre 1st Film Festival, with such shorts as Velocity Girls and Mr. Splodgy Does Lung Cancer.

METV

www.metv.com

Movies, music videos, trailers and reviews drive this site's traffic. To view movies, you'll have to register and give a credit card number, although the site assures there's no charge.

MOVIEFLIX

www.movieflix.com

Has lots of shorts and movies. It also has a big collection of Betty Boop cartoons and a nice group of film noir, all free, including D.O.A., He Walked by Night, Detour and Scarlet Street.

MOVIETV

www.movietv.com

A treasure trove of cheesy, archival films and TV shows: Dr. Jekyll & the Werewolf, Lady Dracula, Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger.

REGENERATIONTV

www.regenerationtv.com

An offbeat site with independent-minded online films, music and poetry.

SHOCKWAVE

www.shockwave.com

All-purpose entertainment, with video, animation, games and music. You'll find South Park, Stan and Stan, Dilbert and Thugs on Film. Coming up are shorts from directors Tim Burton, James Brooks and David Lynch. Mr. Burton's upcoming new animated short, Stain Boy, is already causing major buzz. It has an extensive collection of music videos, puzzles and arcade games.

SIGHTSOUND

www.sightsound.com

Best known for its original 32-minute pay-per-view flick Quantum Project, starring Stephen Dorff and John Cleese. But the download can take up to six hours, so you'll probably need a T1 line and a little luck.

SPUTNICK 7

www.sputnick7.com

Allows interactive voting on various anime flicks, as well as numerous downloads for music and video. Also features so-called cinema electronica, digital films that showcase electronic music. A partnership with Res magazine.

THE SYNC

www.thesync.com

Free classics include Nosferatu, The Gospel According to St. Matthew and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It also has special video shows.

UNDERGOUND FILM

www.undergroundfilm.com

In addition to a selection of movies in different genres, this site offers screenplays and music. Cheesy shorts include Barn of the Blood Llama and Beware of the Hot Dog People.

ZEROONEFILMS

www.zeroonefilms.com

Continuously streamed film channels, hosted by online personalities. It includes animation, movies, shorts and music videos.