The Unknown Man of Shandigor (region-A Blu-ray)

Swiss director Jean-Louis Roy's 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 Who's Who of great Sixties character actors starting with the unforgettable Daniel Emilfork (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE) as crazed scientist Herbert Von Krantz, who's 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). Gainsbourg's deranged jazz-lounge song, "Bye Bye Mr. Spy" – performed by him on a funeral parlor organ, no less – is arguably the film's high point. New 4K Restoration from the original 35mm picture and sound elements by Cinémathèque suisse with additional digital restoration by Craig Rogers of Deaf Crocodile.