Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired North American rights excluding television for Dan Klores’s much discussed Sundance Film Festival Documentary Competition entry CRAZY LOVE. The film tells the astonishing story of the obsessive roller-coaster relationship of Burt and Linda Pugach, which shocked the nation during the summer of 1959. Burt, a 32 year-old married attorney and Linda, a beautiful, single 20 year-old girl living in the Bronx had a whirlwind romance, which culminated in a violent and psychologically complex set of actions that landed the pair’s saga on the cover of endless newspapers and magazines. With the cooperation of the principles, Burt, now 79, and Linda, 68, Klores and partner Fisher Stevens examine the human psyche and the concepts of love, obsession, insanity, hope and forgiveness.
“CRAZY LOVE is one of those rare pictures, like ‘CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS,’ that’s so rich and intriguing that it has a strong chance of emerging as a cultural reference point. Dan Klores has done an unbelievable job in handling this unbelievable story, one that truly defies fiction,” said Magnolia’s President Eamonn Bowles.
The deal was negotiated by Bowles, Magnolia’s Head of Acquisitions, Tom Quinn, and Head of Business Affairs, Jason Janego, with Klores and Endeavor Independent’s Graham Taylor and Mark Ankner. Foreign sales are being handled by Andrew Herwitz of The Film Sales Company. A spring release is planned.
Klores added, “I am tremendously excited about working with all the great people at Magnolia. They have the experience, the passion and the enthusiasm we were looking for.”
