Unknown Man Of Shandigor, The (Blu-ray)

Swiss director Jean-Louis Roys long-lost mid-1960s Cold War super-spy thriller is a marvelous and surreal hall of mirrors, part-DR. STRANGELOVE, part-ALPHAVILLE, with sly nods to British TV shows like THE AVENGERS and DOCTOR WHO. The film stars a Whos Who of great Sixties character actors starting with the unforgettable Daniel Emilfork (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, THE DEVILS NIGHTMARE) as crazed scientist Herbert Von Krantz, whos invented a device to sterilize all nuclear weapons. A mad herd of rival spies are desperate to get their hands on the device, including legendary French singer Serge Gainsbourg as the leader of a sect of bald, turtleneck-wearing assassins, and Jess Franco vet Howard Vernon (THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF). Gainsbourgs deranged jazz-lounge song, Bye Bye Mr. Spy performed by him on a funeral parlor organ, no less is arguably the films high point. An accomplished spy is at the same time psychologist, artist, funambulist, conjurer, to quote one of the characters and the sa