Crazy Love

Crazy Love takes an in-depth look at the troubled relationship between Barton and Linda Pugach, specifically the ‘crime of passion’ that served as the centrepiece of their uniquely bizarre courtship.

In 1959, thugs hired by Barton Pugach threw liquid lye into the face of his then girlfriend, Linda Riss, aged 22. The attack left her blind and outraged. For 15 years, the pair duked it out in court, in the tabloids and everywhere else the public cared to look — yet they ended up married after Pugach promised to buy Riss a seeing-eye dog for Christmas.

The title of the documentary, Crazy Love, refers to the fact that Riss was able to stand by this man despite knowing first-hand the horrific acts of which he was capable. The film features interview footage with the couple, both of whom are aware of how bizarre their situation is and yet do not appear to be fazed.