It seems lately that Canadian director Guy Maddin is determined to bring new meaning to the term "prolific." His second feature release for the year, Cowards Bend The Knee is now playing at the Film Forum through August 24. His earlier movie this year The Saddest Music in the World received much critical acclaim and he's the youngest recipient of the Telluride Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Maddin does this amazing thing wherein he takes the visual aesthetics of early and silent cinema but gives it our modern sensibility. It's a brilliantly effortless mixture and as you watch his movies, you can't believe someone hasn't thought of it before. It really takes true talent to make filmmaking look this easy.

Cowards Bend the Knee ("an autobiographical, peep-show installation") plays with three shorts, Sissy-Boy Slap-Party and Sombra Dolorosa also by Maddin as well as The Phantom Museum by the Brothers Quay. His 2003 movie, Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary, which was a Village Voice Best of 2003 selection at BAM, is now available on DVD.

Our apologies that Gothamist didn't recommend this film yesterday, as Maddin was in house for Q & A after two screenings last night. Anyone hear him speak?