Pyrazoloacridine in Treating Patients With Metastatic Skin or Eye Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed metastatic cutaneous or ocular melanoma that is chemotherapy naive * Bidimensionally measurable disease * No pleural effusions or ascites * No untreated CNS metastases * Stable brain metastases by CT or MRI scan * At least 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: * At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL * SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN (unless due to hepatic metastases) Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No active infection * No known hypersensitivity to E.coli derived proteins * No other serious medical problems * No more than 1 primary malignancy within past 5 years, other than: * Nonmelanomatous skin cancer * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No history of spinal cord compression PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * Prior biologic therapy allowed (e.g., interleukin-2, interferon alfa, or vaccine therapy) Chemotherapy: * No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * See Disease Characteristics Radiotherapy: * Prior radiotherapy for primary ocular melanoma, brain metastases, or to metastatic sites encompassing less than 25% of the bone marrow allowed * No other prior radiotherapy Surgery: * At least 2 weeks since prior surgery and recovered