Watching Steven Spielberg's adaptation of "War of the Worlds" this summer, I began to wonder if producer George Pal's 1953 version, with one of my favorite actors, Gene Barry, in the role taken by Tom Cruise, was anywhere near as good as I remembered from multiple viewings in my childhood. It had its original release on DVD before this column became a regular feature.

Like an alien invader reading my mind, Paramount answered the question in the affirmative with "The War of the Worlds: Special Collector's Edition" (FOUR STARS out of four stars, $14.99), which if anything, is actually scarier than Spielberg's version, with less chase, more spaceship invaders, great special effects for the era (they won the film an Oscar) and a surprisingly intelligent, decidedly non-cheesy script.

Having not seen the original transfer, said to be subpar, I can say only that this one is very watchable, if far from pristine. The kick for me was hearing the film in a good stereo remix.

Barry, 84, and his costar Ann Robinson, 70, provide an entertaining commentary that proves their memories are still pretty good. It's too bad it was recorded before the release of Spielberg's film, which slyly cast them as a grandfather and grandmother. The single disc also packs in short featurettes on the making of the film and on author H.G. Wells, along with the infamous Orson Welles Mercury Theater broadcast that panicked America on Oct. 30, 1938, and which is now in public domain.

All but forgotten was a syndicated TV series that served as a very belated sequel to Pal's movie, and even included footage from that film in its opening sequence. "War of the Worlds — The Complete First Season" (THREE STARS out of four stars, Paramount, $39.98) collects the original episodes from 1988-89, which tell the story of a secret team assembled by the government to fight a covert war against the aliens who were captured and kept in suspended animation storage since 1953, but had broken free and were wreaking havoc by assuming human guise.

The box of all boxes is "Sex and the City: The Complete Series" (THREE STARS out of four stars, HBO, $299.95, but look for discounts in the $200 range), which collects all 94 episodes on 19 discs, with a bonus disc that includes an "EnSEXlopedia" to the series, and another feature that showcases the various real restaurants, bars, clubs and shops frequented by the ladies over the show's six-year run.

No one would ever claim that "The Concert for Bangladesh" is one of the great concert movies, but as the long-awaited DVD (THREE STARS out of four stars, Rhino/Capitol, $29.98) reminds us, the 1971 charity event (actually two shows at Madison Square Garden) was certainly a great concert, with George Harrison hosting a show that included Ravi Shankar, and a then-rare special appearance by Bob Dylan, with a band that included Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell and Billy Preston.

The DVD includes rehearsal footage and a version of Dylan's "Love Minus Zero (No Limit)," cut from the theatrical release. Rhino has also issued a beautifully packaged "Limited Deluxe Edition" ($49.98) that contains a 64-page book, a repro of the original poster, and more.

Shout Factory! has emerged as the DVD equivalent of the Rhino record label, resurrecting long-lost classics in well-compiled and good-looking packages. This fall it has released "The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons" (THREE STARS out of four stars, $39.98), with late '60s and early '70s TV appearances from Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and others on the late-night talker.

Also look for "The Dick Cavett Show: The Ray Charles Collection" (THREE STARS out of four stars, $24.98) and "The Dick Cavett Show: John Lennon and Yoko Ono" (THREE STARS out of four stars, $24.98), which brings together the couple's three appearances on the show in 1971 (Lennon's first TV interview after the Beatles breakup) and 1972. The talk is grand, since Cavett was always the most culturally attuned of the late-night network hosts. But the only live music is performed with bar band Elephant's Memory, and includes songs from Lennon's worst, then-current album, "Sometime in New York City."

Other good rocking on DVD include "Cream: Royal Albert Hall — May 2-3-5-6, 2005" (THREE STARS out of four stars, Rhino, $29,98), documenting the band's reunion earlier this year, and "Lou Reed: Live at Montreux 2000" (THREE STARS out of four stars, Eagle, $14.98), with a set that features "Ecstasy" and "Dirty Boulevard."

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