The victim, Linda, who ends up married to the guy did not say in this documentary that she loved the man who paid someone to disfigure her and then years later married her. He disfigured her face, her beautiful eyes and ruined her life as much as possible without actually killing her. To me it is obvious he is a narcissist because he never really admits any GUILT over ANY of his BAD VERY BAD actions. Dating her when he was married, obviously he's about 8-9 years older than her. She never had sex with him, and it was 'hinted' but not stated outright that finally in her mid-30s after she'd been disfigured she was planning to lose her virginity, finally! to another guy, but when that guy saw her eyes not hidden behind dark glasses, he freaked. The one man she thought loved her (not Burt) broke off their engagement after she got out of the hospital after the acid attack. This woman was STRONG WILLED. To be blind to the point where she could only see light/dark and 'shapes' and yet walk to work, in a big city, without a seeing eye dog or even a white cane, shows her strength. But by the time Burt got out of jail, Linda had been single, and living alone, for years. She had no one, no money, barely surviving in a one-room 'apartment'. AND there's Burt, still relentlessly telling her he loves her, and asking for her forgiveness. So she has a love/hate relationship with him, what's new about that? She tells him 'if you love me send me money'... and although he was still in jail at the time, he was selling his lawyering services to the inmates and two weeks later she's got a certified check from him for $4,000.00... in early 1970-71. That was BIG money for that time. Enough time has passed that she has 'gotten over' what he did to her, as much as one could, and she no longer hates him. Hate is a strong emotion, and very draining, just like infatuation. (I think infatuation, not love, is the flip side of hate.) So he's out of jail, paid his 'debt to society' (as he said) and she wants some respite from her life of not-much. So she marries him. Odd, maybe, but not 'weird'. She doesn't love him, and he, purportedly, does love her (in his narcissistic way). I understand why she married him. Although he never stopped being a liar/cheat (he's a narcissist), he does seem to take care of her, and finally, that's better than living alone, struggling to survive financially with an overwe'ening sense of loneliness. Maybe his punishment is having to take care of the woman he supposedly loved and yet injured so seriously. Who knows. Life is short and difficult. So she took comfort from her enemy. Move along, people, nothing (new) to see here. Very well done documentary! I was surprised it kept my interest, but it did.
36 Reviews
A warped love story professionally delivered
oneloveall14 October 2007
Entertaining and mildly provoking film documents the weird highs and strange lows associated with a decades-long bizarre courtship of one Linda Pugach by her mildly insane husband Burt. Simultaneously amusing and depressing, the progressively ridiculous reality these two ill-fated lovers found themselves in is enough to warrant viewing. Making great use of archival footage, the filmmakers really hit their stride near the end, when laying out the skewed romantic timelessness which pervades the Pugach's interactions. The film does take some time to build viewer interest (supposing you were too young to remember this in the headlines) but when it does get particularly interesting near the end, rarely does studying the brilliant intricacies of human irony feel more poetic.
who's crazier, him or her? you decide, in this scabrous, oddly fun documentary
Quinoa198423 June 2007
I'm reminded of the line from a Chris Rock special where he's talking about gay people should be allowed to married and "be as miserable as everybody else." How about passive-aggressive? One may try and pin-point Burt Pugach as being such, though he's not the easiest sort of character to crack. Or, maybe he is: a pioneer in the field of ambulance chasers, he laid eyes on a woman one day in the late 50s in the Bronx and knew he had to have her. She wasn't that easy, albeit he was pretty rich as a lawyer/movie producer, and had all sorts of nifty objects. But, low and behold, he was really married, and once found out kept stalling on getting divorced. Why exactly I'm sure only Burt, and his eventual ex-wife, could say, but it lead down a path of one of the most bizarre cases of 'tainted love' one could ever find: blindness by acid, jail-time, near poverty, and finally a strange reconciliation and marriage between stalker and stalkee.
If you don't know the tale of the Pugach's, as I did, some of this may come as something of a surprise (the glasses Linda wears, at first, seems like a simple fashion gimmick, until the real reason comes out- and sight of her eyes as they are today), but what makes the film work best is seeing it as a surreal human interest story. Like Capturing the Friedmans, you'll leave the theater or finish watching at home and it will get you talking not so much in a gossip kind of way as the newspapers originally made it out to be as a huge story (the kind that, had it come out today, would be probably the only news for a week on the cable channels), but as if these people are almost like characters in a movie. How could Burt's first wife stand all this, or even marry him? Didn't Linda know that Burt could go one step further following her engagement to Larry Schwartz? How could the two of them stay together even after there was ANOTHER big charge put against Burt in the 90s with another woman claiming damages? All these questions, and more, may be prevalent, but in the end it doesn't matter too much.
What Crazy Love is is sincere entertainment, where there's real truth in it- the circumstances following Linda's blindness, leading to a sort of existential crisis leading up to Burt, mostly for the money, truth be further told- and lots of dark humor as well. It may be a little exploitive perhaps, but seeing photos of Burt in the 70s after getting out of prison are some of the most demented photos, I've ever seen of a man, with his beard looking like what a character playing the devil might wear (not that he is the devil, just a, well, lying ambulance chaser). There's also some humility in seeing how, in a way, the marriage that Burt and Linda ended up in may not be too far removed, in seeing them on screen anyway, from how people you know might act- which is a level of discontentment and misery, but also the feeling that things can't get much worse.
It's not a great documentary, as sometimes the editing is a little jerky, and the last transition from previously cool songs to a mopey ballad the couple dance to is not good at all. But it's got many qualities that make it very watchable- unpredictability (or predictability, depending on point of view or knowledge of the material), a real sense of time and place (great Bronx locations), and two people and their friends and witnesses who can attest to the biggest puzzle of them all: how could they get back together after what happened?
If you don't know the tale of the Pugach's, as I did, some of this may come as something of a surprise (the glasses Linda wears, at first, seems like a simple fashion gimmick, until the real reason comes out- and sight of her eyes as they are today), but what makes the film work best is seeing it as a surreal human interest story. Like Capturing the Friedmans, you'll leave the theater or finish watching at home and it will get you talking not so much in a gossip kind of way as the newspapers originally made it out to be as a huge story (the kind that, had it come out today, would be probably the only news for a week on the cable channels), but as if these people are almost like characters in a movie. How could Burt's first wife stand all this, or even marry him? Didn't Linda know that Burt could go one step further following her engagement to Larry Schwartz? How could the two of them stay together even after there was ANOTHER big charge put against Burt in the 90s with another woman claiming damages? All these questions, and more, may be prevalent, but in the end it doesn't matter too much.
What Crazy Love is is sincere entertainment, where there's real truth in it- the circumstances following Linda's blindness, leading to a sort of existential crisis leading up to Burt, mostly for the money, truth be further told- and lots of dark humor as well. It may be a little exploitive perhaps, but seeing photos of Burt in the 70s after getting out of prison are some of the most demented photos, I've ever seen of a man, with his beard looking like what a character playing the devil might wear (not that he is the devil, just a, well, lying ambulance chaser). There's also some humility in seeing how, in a way, the marriage that Burt and Linda ended up in may not be too far removed, in seeing them on screen anyway, from how people you know might act- which is a level of discontentment and misery, but also the feeling that things can't get much worse.
It's not a great documentary, as sometimes the editing is a little jerky, and the last transition from previously cool songs to a mopey ballad the couple dance to is not good at all. But it's got many qualities that make it very watchable- unpredictability (or predictability, depending on point of view or knowledge of the material), a real sense of time and place (great Bronx locations), and two people and their friends and witnesses who can attest to the biggest puzzle of them all: how could they get back together after what happened?
He maims to please
SanFernandoCurt21 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Wow! This film is so full of laugh-out-loud moments it's almost a comedy. And that left me rattled long after it was over, and I'd reconsidered the zany goings-on of a self-made millionaire lawyer maiming the beautiful woman who scorned him. BLINDED HER! Ooo. Hell hath no fury like an officer of the court told to go fly a kite. Then, years later, they get back together and tie the knot. Marry! ("Prison really muscled him up.") And THEN... long after that... he's accused of cheating on her with another woman, who he plots to kill after SHE dumps him. His infamies aren't crimes of passion. They're very, very bad habits! Part of the appeal is the setting - NOO Yawk nouveau riche - and the stunning scope of the story, spanning late-'50s to present (the unfortunate female, Linda Riss, was splashed with acid in 1959, the crime committed by thugs hired by her erstwhile lover, attorney Burt Pagach).
But in the hands of the filmmakers, Pagach's astoundingly atrocious behavior is practically laughed off as a charming eccentricity. Or... maybe... the producers were as dumbfounded charting these two bizarre people as I was watching them. At times, Pagach is portrayed as almost romantically valiant. "He could still see the beauty in her," one of their gossipy friends says in a tone very close to admiration. Other talking heads (they provide some of the biggest laughs in the film) include legendary journalist Jimmy Breslin, who pronounces Pagach "insane". Bingo, Jimmy.
The pop-song soundtrack grounds the proceedings in specific eras, although the choice of Elvis' "Burning Love" over the final credits is tasteless. And, yes, an irresistible choice.
But in the hands of the filmmakers, Pagach's astoundingly atrocious behavior is practically laughed off as a charming eccentricity. Or... maybe... the producers were as dumbfounded charting these two bizarre people as I was watching them. At times, Pagach is portrayed as almost romantically valiant. "He could still see the beauty in her," one of their gossipy friends says in a tone very close to admiration. Other talking heads (they provide some of the biggest laughs in the film) include legendary journalist Jimmy Breslin, who pronounces Pagach "insane". Bingo, Jimmy.
The pop-song soundtrack grounds the proceedings in specific eras, although the choice of Elvis' "Burning Love" over the final credits is tasteless. And, yes, an irresistible choice.
Never Date a Loon
macpet49-122 December 2010
The nice thing about this story is that it doesn't show what it pretends to--that with age comes wisdom. It shows that demented people are walking around us all the time and you can even be married to one so stay awake and never sleep while dating. Burt is a sociopath with psychopathic tendencies. Linda is a lovely girl who is stuck on herself. It's a union made in Hell. He is pretty much unrepentant after disfiguring her, but supposedly still in love with her (huh-Brooklynese)! She is frightened out of her mind but still able to be wooed by him (her ego demands satisfaction). He is a known whore, she's a tease. It's inevitable that people like this are drawn to each other in life. The only remorse he shows is in getting old. He's upset that he has no cachet anymore, not that he frigged up a woman's life. Their faces reveal the delight at being able to 'tell their stories' after all these years and that anyone would care enough to watch. We have become the ultimate voyeurs. Most of the friends, family, witnesses are elderly boozed out/smoked out floozies and pimps. It could have cult status. It's a film that ought to have been made by John Waters. Watch it knowing that these people have lived and learned nothing. Watch it knowing that though you'll try, you probably will NEVER reach beyond your high school mentality. Who you are in h.s. is basically who you are the rest of your life regardless of career, style, money, etc. A thug is a thug is a thug. A cheerleader is a cheerleader is an old cheerleader.
An Unusual Love Story... Maybe
gavin69422 June 2014
The bizarre true story of Linda Riss and Burt Pugach.
Manohla Dargis of the New York Times called the film "somewhat sickening, mildly gonzo" and added, "Crazy Love takes a mildly hyperventilated approach to its subject; there's a hint of tabloid sensationalism, a splash of kitsch sentimentalism." This is all very true and it is just an incredible story overall, bringing in William Kunstler, the Attica Riot, and other events in the history of New York. Was this a story that will make the history books? No. But it is among the strangest true crime stories ever to occur, and luckily somewhat was clever enough to track down all the interested parties for posterity.
Manohla Dargis of the New York Times called the film "somewhat sickening, mildly gonzo" and added, "Crazy Love takes a mildly hyperventilated approach to its subject; there's a hint of tabloid sensationalism, a splash of kitsch sentimentalism." This is all very true and it is just an incredible story overall, bringing in William Kunstler, the Attica Riot, and other events in the history of New York. Was this a story that will make the history books? No. But it is among the strangest true crime stories ever to occur, and luckily somewhat was clever enough to track down all the interested parties for posterity.
What the Heck
luckypenny-0207025 November 2020
Will Leave You Shaking Your Head In Disbelief At What You Just Saw & Heard
ccthemovieman-123 May 2008
This may be the most amazing true-life documentary I've ever seen. If it wasn't all true, I'd never believe it. Who would? This is an insane "love story," and it really happened. Ask the citizens of New York City who lived through this tabloid story. I'm sure they couldn't believe it, either, but it was headline news in their area for quite a while.
I hesitate to say too much for those who haven't watched this, but I highly recommend this DVD. The filmmakers did an outstanding job in presenting all the major figures in this fascinating tale of twisted lovers....and "twisted" is putting it mildly, especially in regard to the chief male: Burt Pugach, who is one of the most despicable no-conscience people I've ever seen. If you have a low opinion of lawyers, you'll really appreciate this story! The female part of this bizarre "love" story is Linda Riis. She's the first person you see on camera and, from the first sentence on, you think incredulously "who is this?!" The weird sunglasses, eyebrows, obvious wig and brutally-frank New York directness and accent hits you like a truck. Her story, and from her perspective, is the most amazing of them all. Everyone else that follows - Burt and Linda's friends and associates - are almost as riveting. These are all real people, not actors.
Trust me: you have to see this to believe it. If crazy people, obsession, romance, crime, loneliness, comedy, etc., are all something you find entertaining, this documentary has all of it. It might also disgust you that human beings can be so pathetic.
I couldn't stop shaking my head in disbelief after this watching this documentary. Kudos to everyone involved in this film for a job very well done.
I hesitate to say too much for those who haven't watched this, but I highly recommend this DVD. The filmmakers did an outstanding job in presenting all the major figures in this fascinating tale of twisted lovers....and "twisted" is putting it mildly, especially in regard to the chief male: Burt Pugach, who is one of the most despicable no-conscience people I've ever seen. If you have a low opinion of lawyers, you'll really appreciate this story! The female part of this bizarre "love" story is Linda Riis. She's the first person you see on camera and, from the first sentence on, you think incredulously "who is this?!" The weird sunglasses, eyebrows, obvious wig and brutally-frank New York directness and accent hits you like a truck. Her story, and from her perspective, is the most amazing of them all. Everyone else that follows - Burt and Linda's friends and associates - are almost as riveting. These are all real people, not actors.
Trust me: you have to see this to believe it. If crazy people, obsession, romance, crime, loneliness, comedy, etc., are all something you find entertaining, this documentary has all of it. It might also disgust you that human beings can be so pathetic.
I couldn't stop shaking my head in disbelief after this watching this documentary. Kudos to everyone involved in this film for a job very well done.
The less you know about the story the better. Go watch the film and then come back and read about it
dbborroughs7 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This review contains spoilers after a certain marked point.
The less you know about the story going in the better this is going to play. If you know what happens then odds are things will be less interesting. The basic story, sans spoilers, is that Burt Pagach is dumped by his girlfriend, Linda, who gets engaged to another nice young man. Torn with jealousy he pays three men to throw acid in Linda's face. What happens after that is the story. If you want to go in blind, no pun intended, find the film and watch it only knowing that much. if you want to know more read on.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The real story here is that Burt and Linda eventually get married. They are a strange pair and the film charts the course of their relationship. Both are interviewed, as are friends, lawyers and newsmen. Its an odd story to say the least with a few twists and turns that keep things interesting.
The problem with the film is what I said at the outset, knowing that they get married kind of makes the film less than great. The reason is that the revelation that the end up together kills the suspense, its like knowing who done it in a mystery, the story is still fun, however all of the fun of finding out whats going on for yourself is lost. Also working against the film is that these are strange people. They are very damaged by life, each other and themselves and its makes it hard to really to completely warm up to them, in a weird sort of way they kind of deserve each other and I don't mean that in a wholly nice way.
Yes its a good film, but its not a great one. Its like watching a good episode of a Discovery Channel series that you stumble upon and watch to the end because it intrigues you, however at the same time once its over you don't need to see it again.
The less you know about the story going in the better this is going to play. If you know what happens then odds are things will be less interesting. The basic story, sans spoilers, is that Burt Pagach is dumped by his girlfriend, Linda, who gets engaged to another nice young man. Torn with jealousy he pays three men to throw acid in Linda's face. What happens after that is the story. If you want to go in blind, no pun intended, find the film and watch it only knowing that much. if you want to know more read on.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The real story here is that Burt and Linda eventually get married. They are a strange pair and the film charts the course of their relationship. Both are interviewed, as are friends, lawyers and newsmen. Its an odd story to say the least with a few twists and turns that keep things interesting.
The problem with the film is what I said at the outset, knowing that they get married kind of makes the film less than great. The reason is that the revelation that the end up together kills the suspense, its like knowing who done it in a mystery, the story is still fun, however all of the fun of finding out whats going on for yourself is lost. Also working against the film is that these are strange people. They are very damaged by life, each other and themselves and its makes it hard to really to completely warm up to them, in a weird sort of way they kind of deserve each other and I don't mean that in a wholly nice way.
Yes its a good film, but its not a great one. Its like watching a good episode of a Discovery Channel series that you stumble upon and watch to the end because it intrigues you, however at the same time once its over you don't need to see it again.
Be prepared to have to scrape your jaw off the floor
Buddy-5125 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Of all human traits, "love" is probably the least easy to categorize or define. We like to believe that it comes in all shapes, sizes and forms, but is there a limit beyond which the definition simply cannot go, a type of feeling that, though it may resemble love on the surface, is, in reality, an entity quite different from the actual thing? Without setting out to do so, Burt Pugach and Linda Riss are two individuals who have truly done their best to redefine "love" on their own terms.
Almost from the outset, the story of Burt Pugach and Linda Riss had all the ingredients of a classic tabloid sensation: romance, jealousy, rage, obsession, disfigurement, imprisonment, reconciliation and redemption, all wrapped around a crime of passion that would shock and horrify the nation. And this would turn out to be no run-of-the-mill, here-today/gone-tomorrow type of scandal, either, for it would flourish over the course of no fewer than five full decades, from the late 1950's to the mid 1990's. Now, straight out of the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction file comes the documentary "Crazy Love" to provide us with a brilliant and mind-blowing account of their story.
This disturbing and fascinating film begins in 1957, when a lawyer from the Bronx named Burt Pugach met and fell in love with a beautiful, yet naïve, young woman named Linda Riss. Though at first carried away by this man's easy flowing charm and wealth, Linda tried to back out of the relationship when she discovered that he was already married and had apparently no intention of ever asking his wife for a divorce. Unable to live with Linda's rejection, Burt quickly became a stalker, going so far as to hire three men to go to Linda's house and throw lye into her face, resulting in almost total blindness for the unsuspecting girl. A sensationalistic trial then ensued, resulting in imprisonment for Burt and a life of loneliness for Linda. Yet, baby, you ain't seen nothing' yet - for it's from here on out that things REALLY start to get crazy.
Suffice it to say that, when all is said and done, "Crazy Love" will leave you gaping in stunned silence - or at least scratching your head in amazement at the mind-boggling truths it reveals about human nature. This film conjures up a whole host of contradictory responses in the audience, making us question just how exactly we are supposed to feel about these two individuals and the relationship they've somehow managed to forge out of all this madness. Is Burt simply a raving maniac who can't tell the difference between love and obsession, or is there some basic element of decency in his character that might allow him to find true forgiveness and redemption for his crime? Is Linda merely a hapless victim drawn to the man who's abused her, or is she a calculating opportunist willing to do what it takes to obtain some security and love in this world? Or does she - in some weird way and despite all he's done to her - actually love the man? What's admirable, from an artistic standpoint, is that the movie doesn't answer any of those questions for us. Instead, we are lured into this crazy, topsy-turvy world of inverted values, then forced to find our own way back out of it - if we can.
Writer/director Dan Klores has structured his film in a way that is particularly effective for anyone not yet acquainted with the story. He begins by relating the initially rather mundane details of this romance in strictly chronological order, with no real inkling of the darkness that is to come, leaving us to question after awhile just why this particular story and this particular couple merit all this attention. It isn't until about twenty or thirty minutes into the film that he finally lowers the boom on us, and we come to realize the significance of the tale he is relating. He does this again later in the story (yes, there is a second major boom to drop), as we watch in spellbound amazement as one astonishing level after another is slowly peeled off the onion.
With an abundance of photos and film clips - along with songs popular at the time playing on the soundtrack - Klores is able to bring the various eras in which this all took place to vivid life. But, obviously, his key selling point is the numerous interviews he was able to glean with people intimately connected to the story - including Burt and Linda themselves. Nobody could ever probably fully comprehend their relationship and the fact that it somehow "works" for them may say more about human nature than we may indeed care to know.
Still, there's no doubt that this is one movie that will have you thinking long and hard about it after it's over.
Almost from the outset, the story of Burt Pugach and Linda Riss had all the ingredients of a classic tabloid sensation: romance, jealousy, rage, obsession, disfigurement, imprisonment, reconciliation and redemption, all wrapped around a crime of passion that would shock and horrify the nation. And this would turn out to be no run-of-the-mill, here-today/gone-tomorrow type of scandal, either, for it would flourish over the course of no fewer than five full decades, from the late 1950's to the mid 1990's. Now, straight out of the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction file comes the documentary "Crazy Love" to provide us with a brilliant and mind-blowing account of their story.
This disturbing and fascinating film begins in 1957, when a lawyer from the Bronx named Burt Pugach met and fell in love with a beautiful, yet naïve, young woman named Linda Riss. Though at first carried away by this man's easy flowing charm and wealth, Linda tried to back out of the relationship when she discovered that he was already married and had apparently no intention of ever asking his wife for a divorce. Unable to live with Linda's rejection, Burt quickly became a stalker, going so far as to hire three men to go to Linda's house and throw lye into her face, resulting in almost total blindness for the unsuspecting girl. A sensationalistic trial then ensued, resulting in imprisonment for Burt and a life of loneliness for Linda. Yet, baby, you ain't seen nothing' yet - for it's from here on out that things REALLY start to get crazy.
Suffice it to say that, when all is said and done, "Crazy Love" will leave you gaping in stunned silence - or at least scratching your head in amazement at the mind-boggling truths it reveals about human nature. This film conjures up a whole host of contradictory responses in the audience, making us question just how exactly we are supposed to feel about these two individuals and the relationship they've somehow managed to forge out of all this madness. Is Burt simply a raving maniac who can't tell the difference between love and obsession, or is there some basic element of decency in his character that might allow him to find true forgiveness and redemption for his crime? Is Linda merely a hapless victim drawn to the man who's abused her, or is she a calculating opportunist willing to do what it takes to obtain some security and love in this world? Or does she - in some weird way and despite all he's done to her - actually love the man? What's admirable, from an artistic standpoint, is that the movie doesn't answer any of those questions for us. Instead, we are lured into this crazy, topsy-turvy world of inverted values, then forced to find our own way back out of it - if we can.
Writer/director Dan Klores has structured his film in a way that is particularly effective for anyone not yet acquainted with the story. He begins by relating the initially rather mundane details of this romance in strictly chronological order, with no real inkling of the darkness that is to come, leaving us to question after awhile just why this particular story and this particular couple merit all this attention. It isn't until about twenty or thirty minutes into the film that he finally lowers the boom on us, and we come to realize the significance of the tale he is relating. He does this again later in the story (yes, there is a second major boom to drop), as we watch in spellbound amazement as one astonishing level after another is slowly peeled off the onion.
With an abundance of photos and film clips - along with songs popular at the time playing on the soundtrack - Klores is able to bring the various eras in which this all took place to vivid life. But, obviously, his key selling point is the numerous interviews he was able to glean with people intimately connected to the story - including Burt and Linda themselves. Nobody could ever probably fully comprehend their relationship and the fact that it somehow "works" for them may say more about human nature than we may indeed care to know.
Still, there's no doubt that this is one movie that will have you thinking long and hard about it after it's over.
Superb
davideberts2 July 2007
An absolutely riveting documentary about two of the strangest people I've met on film. Such an interesting look into the obsessive side of relationships. I saw it at Sundance and was floored. Complex characters brought to life through masterful use of archival footage. It speaks volumes about the lengths people will go to 'have someone'. Clearly made with subtlety and skill by a talented group of filmmakers. Proves once again that real life is so much more interesting than the vast majority of fiction we see on the big screen. Hopefully the version for television isn't a shorter version as you need time to understand the complexities. Don't miss this film...
Definitely crazy and definitely not love
cledakling4 August 2022
I watched a lot of true crime stuff so Crazy Love kept coming up on Netflix. I'm old enough to have recalled this couple when they made the rounds of all the talk shows, but I honestly didn't remember the story at all. It's a very well done documentary with terrific musical selections from the time and for the subject - which just gets worse and worse as it goes along.
We hear the story of a jealous suitor saying "if I can't have you nobody can" and instead of someone dead or in jail we get these two who managed to make it work for them! It's jaw-dropping, and sad that they could financially succeed because of this twisted fame they've achieved.
How either of them would be willing to be interviewed let alone essentially host a home movie of their lives is beyond me. The man is clearly a narcissist from the outset and unabashed liar. He tells you that. She was his victim, but managed at least to cash in on it.
There is racism, misogyny and an old white guy who doesn't know enough not to use the n word. There is no getting around the fact that they would not be sitting where they are now if he hadn't been a rich white lawyer. And I don't think being Jewish in NYC hurt him either.
So if you like true crime without dead bodies that is very evocative of the times, give it a watch and prepare to be appalled.
We hear the story of a jealous suitor saying "if I can't have you nobody can" and instead of someone dead or in jail we get these two who managed to make it work for them! It's jaw-dropping, and sad that they could financially succeed because of this twisted fame they've achieved.
How either of them would be willing to be interviewed let alone essentially host a home movie of their lives is beyond me. The man is clearly a narcissist from the outset and unabashed liar. He tells you that. She was his victim, but managed at least to cash in on it.
There is racism, misogyny and an old white guy who doesn't know enough not to use the n word. There is no getting around the fact that they would not be sitting where they are now if he hadn't been a rich white lawyer. And I don't think being Jewish in NYC hurt him either.
So if you like true crime without dead bodies that is very evocative of the times, give it a watch and prepare to be appalled.
I was expecting more...
garypage12 November 2007
This film was pretty heavily hyped and garnered some very good reviews on the TV movie review shows ("Ebert & Roeper") so I was expecting a top-notch documentary. Unfortunately, as another reviewer stated it would have made a decent "Court TV" (or "Dateline or Oxygen True Crime") episode and that's about it.
The film takes its time getting to where it wants to go and when it finally gets to its pay-off, there isn't that much of a surprise. Many people in abusive relationships are there due to their own inability to see how mentally messed up they are. That's not much of a revelation.
(I wish the filmmakers would have delved more into Burt's marriage to his first wife. Perhaps she is dead so the filmmakers couldn't get her perspective on this crime. It would have made a more fully realized movie if they had.)
The film takes its time getting to where it wants to go and when it finally gets to its pay-off, there isn't that much of a surprise. Many people in abusive relationships are there due to their own inability to see how mentally messed up they are. That's not much of a revelation.
(I wish the filmmakers would have delved more into Burt's marriage to his first wife. Perhaps she is dead so the filmmakers couldn't get her perspective on this crime. It would have made a more fully realized movie if they had.)
You Can't Keep a Bad Man Down (review of the DVD)
john-quel22 November 2007
When I first encountered the story of Burt and Linda Pugach, some many years ago, in the paper back edition of Burt's biography, what I read on the cover I simply could not believe. At first I thought it was a novel, some kind of elaborate publishing hoax with a rather sick premise, but gradually I came to realize this was for real. I didn't buy the book, I confess. I treated it like it was radioactive and after a few minutes I put gingerly in back on the rack thinking: no good can come from this. But, I never forgot the essence of the story. What did it say about them, us, everyone? So when the documentary was finally made I jumped at the chance to see it.
The DVD is probably the way to go with this story, not watching it in theaters. It is just to intimate, in all the senses of the word, a tale. Watch it all, cut scenes, features etc. Most of all, make sure you listen to the commentary track. At the end, you will then be able decide for yourself. Personally, I think the documentary did their story as fairly and as in depth as could be done. It really is an outstanding achievement. It frustrates some people however because it must seem the truth is missing: this story is so off the scale, so far beyond "Freudian," that while it is tempting to make psychological assessments, don't. The overwhelming majority of people are not competent to do so -- I'm certainly not -- and one would advise against it in any event. Here are two people who themselves probably, even after fifty years of living with the story, have no idea what really happened. But they are living whatever it was, and that is all they or we need to know.
As for Burt, he remains one scary dude, as the director himself would find out first hand, yet one cannot help but respect him, in a way. He is a survivor with a strong element of luck in his life, if that is correct way to put it. He certainly suffered, both before and after his crime, but whether he suffered enough I leave to others to judge. He's smart, resourceful, and in a word indeed "obsessed." "Determined" doesn't quite seem to say it about Burt. For someone who is 80, he comes across as sharp and tough as ever. Given all that he has been through and all that he has done, this is no small accomplishment.
I should point out that Burt does at times appear callous and indifferent to Linda's blindness (a point the director himself makes in the commentary), but I can't help but wonder if he simply does not see Linda as she is now, but only sees her as she was in the late 1950's. The documentary seems to come to that conclusion as well. Love is blind, in more ways than one. Certainly forgiveness is, if it is to be worthy of the name.
As for Linda, she's an old-fashioned girl who was saving herself for the right monster and one day Mr. Wrong did come along. Nevertheless, I confess I like her. She is obviously quite talented, intelligent, witty and every bit Burt's match in toughness. But as with Burt, I'm relieved I never had to interact with either of them. I care for them both, however, and certainly one of the most amazing things about "Crazy Love" is the degree we come to view both of them as human beings. This is not a freak show. There is so much suffering in the world if these two people can hold on to some measure of happiness given their history, then more power to them. I think as a viewer, you can't help but hope the best for them and at the end of the film wonder what will happen to the other when either of them dies.
The DVD is probably the way to go with this story, not watching it in theaters. It is just to intimate, in all the senses of the word, a tale. Watch it all, cut scenes, features etc. Most of all, make sure you listen to the commentary track. At the end, you will then be able decide for yourself. Personally, I think the documentary did their story as fairly and as in depth as could be done. It really is an outstanding achievement. It frustrates some people however because it must seem the truth is missing: this story is so off the scale, so far beyond "Freudian," that while it is tempting to make psychological assessments, don't. The overwhelming majority of people are not competent to do so -- I'm certainly not -- and one would advise against it in any event. Here are two people who themselves probably, even after fifty years of living with the story, have no idea what really happened. But they are living whatever it was, and that is all they or we need to know.
As for Burt, he remains one scary dude, as the director himself would find out first hand, yet one cannot help but respect him, in a way. He is a survivor with a strong element of luck in his life, if that is correct way to put it. He certainly suffered, both before and after his crime, but whether he suffered enough I leave to others to judge. He's smart, resourceful, and in a word indeed "obsessed." "Determined" doesn't quite seem to say it about Burt. For someone who is 80, he comes across as sharp and tough as ever. Given all that he has been through and all that he has done, this is no small accomplishment.
I should point out that Burt does at times appear callous and indifferent to Linda's blindness (a point the director himself makes in the commentary), but I can't help but wonder if he simply does not see Linda as she is now, but only sees her as she was in the late 1950's. The documentary seems to come to that conclusion as well. Love is blind, in more ways than one. Certainly forgiveness is, if it is to be worthy of the name.
As for Linda, she's an old-fashioned girl who was saving herself for the right monster and one day Mr. Wrong did come along. Nevertheless, I confess I like her. She is obviously quite talented, intelligent, witty and every bit Burt's match in toughness. But as with Burt, I'm relieved I never had to interact with either of them. I care for them both, however, and certainly one of the most amazing things about "Crazy Love" is the degree we come to view both of them as human beings. This is not a freak show. There is so much suffering in the world if these two people can hold on to some measure of happiness given their history, then more power to them. I think as a viewer, you can't help but hope the best for them and at the end of the film wonder what will happen to the other when either of them dies.
Freakin' crazy! These folks are simply freakin' crazy!!
planktonrules13 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very, very bizarre documentary about a very, very sick couple. In addition to this film, the story of their relationship was also chronicled in the book "A Very Different Love Story".
In the late 1950s, Burt Pugach was a shyster lawyer who was married with a kid. However, Linda Riss did not know he was married and dated Burt for some time. When she realized he was already married, she broke off the relationship. During this time, Burt harassed and threatened her repeatedly. On the day she was to marry another man, some guys threw acid in Linda's face and disfigured and blinded her. It turned out Burt had paid the man to do this.
So far, the story is sad and a bit shocking--but that's NOT the end of the story. While in prison for 14 years, Burt harassed Linda by writing to her no matter how often she moved. Despite this, he was paroled--even though they knew he was harassing her. Now here's the punchline--when he was released, the two freaks married each other!!! So,...the guy has lye thrown in her face and goes to prison for it...and THEN she married the guy?!? Believe it or not, the story gets even weirder, as Burt was a horrible man. Years later, Burt began threatening another lady with blinding while still married to Linda--at which point Linda came to Burt's defense!!!! I know all this sounds pretty much like an episode of "The Jerry Springer Show" and it is very compelling--in a sick and twisted way! Okay, now that the outline of this sick story has been given, let's talk about Burt and Linda. Burt's easy to figure out--he's a sociopathic scum without a conscience and quick to portray himself as a victim! His behavior while he's in jail awaiting his trial and in prison and in recent years proves he's the lowest of the low--the very worst stereotype of the sleaziest lawyer. Plus throughout the whole documentary he seemed unrepentant and actually enjoyed the attention. However, Linda is the real enigma. She sounds normal and said how much she hated him for the attack....but how does this explain what she later did?!? It was absolutely surreal how she rose to his defense in the second case and proclaimed his innocence. A Hollywood movie couldn't have been any more dramatic and weird.
The film is very well made--with excellent direction and composition. I have no complaints about how they made this film--my only complaints are about this crazy couple!!! But it sure makes for an excellent film that you just can't stop watching!!
By the way, near the very end, I just couldn't believe Burt saying "I just can't believe what the courts have done with me"--gee what a putz! Also, this relationship would be described most likely as a "shared psychotic disorder" according to the DSM-IV--they're both very, very disturbed and feed on each other.
In the late 1950s, Burt Pugach was a shyster lawyer who was married with a kid. However, Linda Riss did not know he was married and dated Burt for some time. When she realized he was already married, she broke off the relationship. During this time, Burt harassed and threatened her repeatedly. On the day she was to marry another man, some guys threw acid in Linda's face and disfigured and blinded her. It turned out Burt had paid the man to do this.
So far, the story is sad and a bit shocking--but that's NOT the end of the story. While in prison for 14 years, Burt harassed Linda by writing to her no matter how often she moved. Despite this, he was paroled--even though they knew he was harassing her. Now here's the punchline--when he was released, the two freaks married each other!!! So,...the guy has lye thrown in her face and goes to prison for it...and THEN she married the guy?!? Believe it or not, the story gets even weirder, as Burt was a horrible man. Years later, Burt began threatening another lady with blinding while still married to Linda--at which point Linda came to Burt's defense!!!! I know all this sounds pretty much like an episode of "The Jerry Springer Show" and it is very compelling--in a sick and twisted way! Okay, now that the outline of this sick story has been given, let's talk about Burt and Linda. Burt's easy to figure out--he's a sociopathic scum without a conscience and quick to portray himself as a victim! His behavior while he's in jail awaiting his trial and in prison and in recent years proves he's the lowest of the low--the very worst stereotype of the sleaziest lawyer. Plus throughout the whole documentary he seemed unrepentant and actually enjoyed the attention. However, Linda is the real enigma. She sounds normal and said how much she hated him for the attack....but how does this explain what she later did?!? It was absolutely surreal how she rose to his defense in the second case and proclaimed his innocence. A Hollywood movie couldn't have been any more dramatic and weird.
The film is very well made--with excellent direction and composition. I have no complaints about how they made this film--my only complaints are about this crazy couple!!! But it sure makes for an excellent film that you just can't stop watching!!
By the way, near the very end, I just couldn't believe Burt saying "I just can't believe what the courts have done with me"--gee what a putz! Also, this relationship would be described most likely as a "shared psychotic disorder" according to the DSM-IV--they're both very, very disturbed and feed on each other.
Awesome. Real people are far more compelling than fictional characters.
MediaRacket23 December 2007
"Crazy Love" again shows us just how compelling real people and situations can be when compared to their fictional counterparts. The screenwriter has not yet been born who could come up with such a detailed, character-rich, period-to-present story. Simply outrageous, you can smell the ink of the old New York tabloids wafting from the screen. This film is endlessly entertaining, fascinating, scary, funny, familiar, confusing and confounding. I think that New Yorkers will find the film and it's tone particularly interesting. The stock footage and stills are outdone only by the amazing Bronx/Brooklyn-ese accents whining from this quirky but genuine group. Think of it, single scandalous crime whose layers have been evolving and unfolding for 50 years now. A must see!
Made For Each Other
strong-122-4788858 September 2015
If you ask me - Crazy Love (from 2007) has got to be one of the most vile, demented and truly sickening "real-life" Romeo & Juliet stories ever told.
Crazy Love was the kind of moronic "love" story that could only happen (where else, but) in America. This fast-food, tabloid-mentality documentary was about as American as is the grotesque reek of McDonalds' restaurants.
I certainly view both Linda Riss and Burt Pugach as being nothing but a revolting pair of white-trash, publicity seekers who really-really-really deserved each other (till they both turned to rot in hell, wrapped in each other's cold, reptilian embrace).
Riss and Pugach (and their nauseating "love" affair) were the ultimate in sickening garbage. And for them to gloat about it and re-tell all of the sordid, blow-by-blow details of this despicable "on-again/off-again" relationship (in this documentary) was like putting this thoroughly disgusted viewer through the hideous torture of "The Rack" for 90 solid minutes.
Crazy Love was the kind of moronic "love" story that could only happen (where else, but) in America. This fast-food, tabloid-mentality documentary was about as American as is the grotesque reek of McDonalds' restaurants.
I certainly view both Linda Riss and Burt Pugach as being nothing but a revolting pair of white-trash, publicity seekers who really-really-really deserved each other (till they both turned to rot in hell, wrapped in each other's cold, reptilian embrace).
Riss and Pugach (and their nauseating "love" affair) were the ultimate in sickening garbage. And for them to gloat about it and re-tell all of the sordid, blow-by-blow details of this despicable "on-again/off-again" relationship (in this documentary) was like putting this thoroughly disgusted viewer through the hideous torture of "The Rack" for 90 solid minutes.
An Expertly Crafted Documentary
Chance2000esl1 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is an expertly crafted documentary superbly edited. It's no wonder it won awards for best documentary.
It chronicles the bizarre story of Burton Pugach and his life long relationship / obsession with Linda Riss, as narrated by them on camera, with extensive archival footage, home movies, photographs, news clips, newspaper headlines, contemporary music samples, and first person interviews, all parading before us at an almost dizzying speed. Just compare this with other documentaries that may contain some or most of these elements, but those mostly come off as being too 'Frontline' -ish or preachy. This one, however, grabs hold of you from the beginning and keeps your attention even up through the final credits (with the great and appropriate 'Burning Love' by Elvis Presley-- what a heck of an ending!).
Given the extensive media coverage given to the Burt / Linda Pugach story during his crime, two trials and their shocking marriage, all of which the filmmakers could draw from, it's amazing how seamlessly and effortlessly this work of art appears to have been crafted. A superlative example of documentary film making.
One clever little editing device for me was that for most of the film, while the camera showed Linda narrating her story and reactions, it would show Burton narrating his story separately. It wasn't until after they got married that you see they have actually been sitting side by side the whole time! A subtle little way to show the development of their story.
The film passes no judgment on either Burton or Linda. The ending where they are dancing on a cruise ship was especially poignant for me: as the narration describes how only they know how they see each other, and it may be as a vision of their past when they were first together. As my own wife and I are approaching 'cruise ship age,' I began thinking how will we see each other as we grow into old age? Needless to say, the image of them dancing is something that will be a part of my thoughts for many years, when my wife and I take their place on that ship.
The bizarre story of Burt and Linda has so many twists and turns that your attention is constantly focused on it; but the superb editing and masterful use of sources are so adroitly done that you're barely aware of how carefully this film was constructed. I'll give it a 10.
It chronicles the bizarre story of Burton Pugach and his life long relationship / obsession with Linda Riss, as narrated by them on camera, with extensive archival footage, home movies, photographs, news clips, newspaper headlines, contemporary music samples, and first person interviews, all parading before us at an almost dizzying speed. Just compare this with other documentaries that may contain some or most of these elements, but those mostly come off as being too 'Frontline' -ish or preachy. This one, however, grabs hold of you from the beginning and keeps your attention even up through the final credits (with the great and appropriate 'Burning Love' by Elvis Presley-- what a heck of an ending!).
Given the extensive media coverage given to the Burt / Linda Pugach story during his crime, two trials and their shocking marriage, all of which the filmmakers could draw from, it's amazing how seamlessly and effortlessly this work of art appears to have been crafted. A superlative example of documentary film making.
One clever little editing device for me was that for most of the film, while the camera showed Linda narrating her story and reactions, it would show Burton narrating his story separately. It wasn't until after they got married that you see they have actually been sitting side by side the whole time! A subtle little way to show the development of their story.
The film passes no judgment on either Burton or Linda. The ending where they are dancing on a cruise ship was especially poignant for me: as the narration describes how only they know how they see each other, and it may be as a vision of their past when they were first together. As my own wife and I are approaching 'cruise ship age,' I began thinking how will we see each other as we grow into old age? Needless to say, the image of them dancing is something that will be a part of my thoughts for many years, when my wife and I take their place on that ship.
The bizarre story of Burt and Linda has so many twists and turns that your attention is constantly focused on it; but the superb editing and masterful use of sources are so adroitly done that you're barely aware of how carefully this film was constructed. I'll give it a 10.
Morbidly fascinating, kind of funny, and more than a little disturbing
Woodyanders11 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This simply astounding documentary offers proof positive that real life can and does on occasion best the wildest and most imaginative of fiction, for it tells the sordidly compelling story of sleazy'n'smarmy shameless narcissistic ambulance-chasing lawyer creep Burt Pugach, who falls madly and obsessively in love (sort of) with lovely young Linda Riss. When Burt fails to win Linda over through conventional means, he hires some thugs to blind and disfigure her with lye so no one else can have her. Things take a turn for the seriously bizarre when Linda decides to marry Burt after he gets released from prison after serving only fourteen years of a thirty year sentence. And the insane true-life story doesn't even end with that.
This documentary captures with bracing acuity the brutal and drastic measures some people will resort to in order to get something that they desperately want. It also reveals that how easily the fine line between love and obsession can be thoroughly blurred and even erased, with Burt's infatuation with Linda coming across as all kinds of psychotic and unhinged. Linda's reasons for hooking up with Burt are done partially out of necessity -- she's blind and unable to work -- and perhaps partly as a means of getting back at him for what he did to her, as she in the long run transforms into a complete nagging shrew who's always busting Burt's hump. Crazy love indeed.
This documentary captures with bracing acuity the brutal and drastic measures some people will resort to in order to get something that they desperately want. It also reveals that how easily the fine line between love and obsession can be thoroughly blurred and even erased, with Burt's infatuation with Linda coming across as all kinds of psychotic and unhinged. Linda's reasons for hooking up with Burt are done partially out of necessity -- she's blind and unable to work -- and perhaps partly as a means of getting back at him for what he did to her, as she in the long run transforms into a complete nagging shrew who's always busting Burt's hump. Crazy love indeed.
Margaret Reines: The Eye of The Beholder
margielove27 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A truly riveting doco/film - Crazy Love is a no-holds barred expose of the lives of Burt and Linda. At the beginning - Linda is truly an exceptionally attractive woman - whose life stands before her. Whether the relationship is a burden or gift is something only they know - probably a bit of both.
Many reviews have alluded to Burt verging on the 'psychotic' - but I believe that the quote on 'obsession' at the film's start - is more realistically pertaining to Burt and his character and possibly near the end - to Linda.
I am pondering on the old Jewish 'matchmaking' system in the European villages - through which this would be a 'non-story' because the Burt/Linda story never would have been allowed to happen. Does having 'choice' mean that it allows the obsession which Burt had for Linda - to flourish - with the direst of consequences?
I could relate through this film to the way my dad thought about my mother - and he would have probably collapsed if anything had happened to her. Although of course violence was never in question. I was struck by Burt mentioning - at the end when Linda was married to him - that he 'still had dreams that Linda was lost and he couldn't find her'. That truly was an obsession. He was prepared to go to gaol - be attacked and injured - and lose so much for her. It was as though he knew that once she was blinded - it would potentially drive away all suitors - and reduce her life to dysfunctional - so that she would be dependent on him. In short he was prepared to suffer to the nth degree to finally marry her. THAT is true obsession/devotion. Not that throwing acid in someone's eyes is recommended!
I also noticed the statements about how beautiful Burt thought Linda was even after the disfigurement.
However - he may still be getting his comeuppance. (eg Listen to Linda's demands : "Get is the car - It's too hot. Have you watered the plants? Is my coffee ready etc?"?)
I Like that New York directness. Living in Australia - it's something one doesn't hear - (Not since my dad and grandmother died. )
A very interesting compelling/captivating story on so many levels.
Many reviews have alluded to Burt verging on the 'psychotic' - but I believe that the quote on 'obsession' at the film's start - is more realistically pertaining to Burt and his character and possibly near the end - to Linda.
I am pondering on the old Jewish 'matchmaking' system in the European villages - through which this would be a 'non-story' because the Burt/Linda story never would have been allowed to happen. Does having 'choice' mean that it allows the obsession which Burt had for Linda - to flourish - with the direst of consequences?
I could relate through this film to the way my dad thought about my mother - and he would have probably collapsed if anything had happened to her. Although of course violence was never in question. I was struck by Burt mentioning - at the end when Linda was married to him - that he 'still had dreams that Linda was lost and he couldn't find her'. That truly was an obsession. He was prepared to go to gaol - be attacked and injured - and lose so much for her. It was as though he knew that once she was blinded - it would potentially drive away all suitors - and reduce her life to dysfunctional - so that she would be dependent on him. In short he was prepared to suffer to the nth degree to finally marry her. THAT is true obsession/devotion. Not that throwing acid in someone's eyes is recommended!
I also noticed the statements about how beautiful Burt thought Linda was even after the disfigurement.
However - he may still be getting his comeuppance. (eg Listen to Linda's demands : "Get is the car - It's too hot. Have you watered the plants? Is my coffee ready etc?"?)
I Like that New York directness. Living in Australia - it's something one doesn't hear - (Not since my dad and grandmother died. )
A very interesting compelling/captivating story on so many levels.
Turned My Stomach
petrus66-439-22058923 November 2022
So well done, capturing the above-ground kind of rationale that tries to exculpate horrible behavior as normalcy. This showcases the kind of hat trick that attempts to make apartheid and brutality acceptable, rationale behavior. Sadly, accepted in certain cultural circles but nonetheless is still unequivocal evil. This should be used to illustrate and teach how pathology and selfishness can be romanticized as mythic. Truly- love does not conquer all nor does it excuse the means to the end. It is stunning that this man was not identified as the sociopath that he is and permanently removed from society.
Not love, but strange and unholy alliance
piverba19 February 2009
I was made aware of this film after watching on Philoctetesctr round table discussion: "Crazy Love: Who's Tormenting Whom?". The director Dan Klores and a panel of illustrious psychoanalysts were present. There was a lively discussion that I found interesting.
Concerning the film, I do not believe it was well made. The director, being a nice man, however did not have a clue how to develop the characters. He was just scratching the surface with superficial description of who they were. The documentary does not rise above the level of newspaper article and film medium was not appreciably exploited. Burt and Linda are both quite unattractive people, only desirous of possessions: Burt wanted Linda and Linda wanted anybody, preferably rich. She would only market her virginity to the highest bidder after all legal documents are sealed. She's so infinitely boring. Burt is a pathological liar, therefore very good and successful attorney, an inventor of the ambulance chase. Once he decided he wants something, he'll get it, even through murder or mutilation. The pair is quite a condemnation of American bourgeois of 1950s. I think (and hope) that this social mentality already died out. All the ideas you get after viewing this film, if any, you will generate on your own, without the assistance of the film, and you will need quite a bit of imagination to do so.
If not for Philoctetes round table discussion this would've been complete waste of time. In the future I will avoid films directed by (or associated with) Dan Klores.
Concerning the film, I do not believe it was well made. The director, being a nice man, however did not have a clue how to develop the characters. He was just scratching the surface with superficial description of who they were. The documentary does not rise above the level of newspaper article and film medium was not appreciably exploited. Burt and Linda are both quite unattractive people, only desirous of possessions: Burt wanted Linda and Linda wanted anybody, preferably rich. She would only market her virginity to the highest bidder after all legal documents are sealed. She's so infinitely boring. Burt is a pathological liar, therefore very good and successful attorney, an inventor of the ambulance chase. Once he decided he wants something, he'll get it, even through murder or mutilation. The pair is quite a condemnation of American bourgeois of 1950s. I think (and hope) that this social mentality already died out. All the ideas you get after viewing this film, if any, you will generate on your own, without the assistance of the film, and you will need quite a bit of imagination to do so.
If not for Philoctetes round table discussion this would've been complete waste of time. In the future I will avoid films directed by (or associated with) Dan Klores.
"Hey, even Hitler had friends"
hollywoodetroit1 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I loved this documentary, an intimate view into one of the strangest, unimaginable love stories ever heard of. Burton and Linda Pugach are living proof that love can conquer all. This film expertly tells their tale of love, revenge, obsession, infidelity, heartache, loss, and ultimately, forgiveness in a straightforward way. There is enough real emotion in the story that the filmmakers wisely let through without milking any moments or pandering to the audience. Dan Klores (the Director) found the right people, asked the right questions, and did a great job of guiding this story towards its' conclusion in an interesting and compelling fashion. Fans of documentaries will love this movie as will fans of love stories and dramas. Anyone who has ever felt unrequited love or heartache will identify with this movie. There are many questions raised as one watches this movie, such as: Could I have ever done something as awful as Burt? Could I ever be as forgiving as Linda? You will hate these people and love these people by the time the movie is over, often simultaneously. You will be frustrated, angry, teary eyed, laughing, shocked, and cathartic by movies end, but most importantly, as a testament to the filmmakers prowess, you will be left wishing you could see all 100 hrs that Klores shot. If it is true that Klores plans to direct only 1 more documentary before attempting to direct feature films (non-documentaries) only, I will be 1st in line for that movie as well.
Read NOTHING...just see this film!
JasparLamarCrabb15 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Directors Dan Klores & Fisher Stevens present a real head-scratcher, a documentary focusing on what is likely the most curious love affair since Edward VIII & Wallace Simpson. In the late 1950s, nebbish ambulance chasing lawyer/film producer(!) Burt Pugach spots Linda Riss on a NYC street corner and becomes immediately obsessed with her. What transpires over the next fifteen years is mind boggling. What goes on after that time is surrealistic. To say anything more would spoil an unbelievable viewing experience. Suffice to say, if the film were fiction, it would most appropriately be directed by either David Lynch or even the great Federico Fellini. CRAZY LOVE is grotesque, cringe-inducing, funny, horrifying, and more...a real emotional roller-coaster. There are appearances by Jimmy Breslin, William Kuntsler, Mike Douglas, Joe Franklin, several friends of both Pugach and Riss as well as Pugach's first wife Francine.
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