''I wanted to do a film where some guy has these martial-art skills, but he does crank,'' Vanbebber explains. After seeing Deadbeat at Dawn, no one would argue his point.

The Manson Family, the second feature in the set, is an experimental, quasi-documentary look at the Tate/LaBianca murders. The film is exceptionally unsettling, horrifically violent and nowhere near as fun to watch as Deadbeat. But it, too, proves that just because Vanbebber makes his movies for pennies doesn't make him another Ed Wood.

OLD TV

The Invaders only lasted a season-and-a-half on ABC, starting in January 1967, but its effects proved lasting. The X-Files creator Chris Carter cited it as an influence on his '90s classic series and even hired Invaders star Roy Thinnes for a recurring role.

Sci-fi cultists will be thrilled to finally own The Invaders -- The First Season (CBS DVD; $36.98), and the studio earns points for taking the time to get its release on DVD mostly right.

Sure, completists will complain that episodes may be edited from their original broadcast (they seem pretty complete), but we also get the edited Beachhead premiere episode and its full 60-minute version as a bonus supplement on the fifth disc. Thinnes, 70, introduces each episode and sits for an on-camera interview.

CBS DVD has been doing right by its old series releases. The overdue Mannix -- The First Season ($49.99; out Tuesday) also boasts participation from its lead actors as Mike Connors (Mannix) and Joseph Campanella (the boss) share stories about filming. Look for a young Neil Diamond, playing himself in a bar scene, in the fourth episode of that 1967-68 season.

-- HOWARD COHEN

hcohen@MiamiHerald.com

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