“The West Side” bills itself as a modern western, the contemporary serial novel. Episodes will be released online, free of charge. You can view Episode 1 here. There are no ads on the site, nor any noted sponsors. The imagery is compelling and the original music is a perfect fit. It had me hooked from frame one. And with the exception of a few technical niggles (gg and grain), it is quite well made. I can’t help but wonder…is this the new way for indies to garner attention and make a name without necessarily getting into a film festival? Is the online viral effect enough for a young filmmaker to build a reputation?

Many thanks to Josh Oakhurst for the heads up. He has a fantastic writeup on the new series and online distribution in general at his site. UPDATE: Read the comments for some very, umm, very spirited discussion on “Four Eyed Monsters”.