Bevacizumab With or Without Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed cutaneous malignant melanoma * Must meet one of the following criteria: * Clinical evidence of metastatic disease * Unresectable regional lymphatic disease * Extensive in transit recurrent disease * Measurable disease * At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral computed tomography (CT) scan * No known brain metastases * No ocular melanoma * Performance status - Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2 * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * More than 6 months * White blood cells (WBC) at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * No clinical evidence of coagulopathy * Bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL (3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's disease provided patient is stable and asymptomatic) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Prothrombin time (PT)/International normalized ratio (INR) less than 1.5 * Creatinine =\< 1.5 mg/dL * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min * Protein \< 1,000 mg on 24-hour urine collection for patients with proteinuria \>= 1+ * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia * No history of thrombosis (e.g., deep vein thrombosis), unless the following criteria are met: * INR in normal range (usually 2-3) AND on a stable dose of warfarin or low molecular weight heparin * No active bleeding or pathologic condition that would confer a high risk of bleeding (e.g., known varices or tumor involving major vessels) * No uncontrolled hypertension * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No prior allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to bevacizumab or interferon alfa * No ongoing or active infection * No other concurrent uncontrolled illness * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) allowed provided otherwise well * At least 4 weeks since prior adjuvant interferon alfa * No prior interferon alfa for metastatic disease * No prior cytokine therapy for metastatic disease (e.g., high-dose interleukin-2 \[IL-2\]) * Prior IL-2 allowed for patients randomized to arm III only * No prior investigational antiangiogenic agents * No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * No other concurrent investigational agents