AOL Red to launch 'Incubus'

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Hollywood producer Adam Shapiro's horror film "Incubus" starring Tara Reid is going the direct-to-download route, it was reported Tuesday.

The low budget film shot in Romania is losing foul language and sex for launch on Time Warner Inc.'s teen Web site, AOL Red, this Halloween, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

AOL Red will sell the film for download for $7.99 -- or charge $3.49 for a five-day rental -- about a month before "Incubus" is to be released on DVD.

Shapiro told The Times he and his partner decided to go the direct-to-download route when it became apparent "Incubus" was not going to get a theatrical release.

A similar marketing effort of the indie film, "Waterbourne," bombed on Google Video earlier this year and experts warned the public may not be ready to watch feature films on their computers.

The Times noted AOL Red already has an estimated 4 million teen users via its subscription service and that number is expected to grow when it moves to the open Internet Oct. 17.