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Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted

Play trailer Poster for Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted May 2025 1h 35m Documentary Music Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 23 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a wildly entertaining and fittingly unconventional documentary about convention-defying singer, songwriter and record producer Jerry Williams, aka Swamp Dogg, one of the great cult figures of 20th-century American music whose singular voice and ideas have shaped the history not merely of soul music, but of country, hip-hop and a dozen other genres. In the film, the titular artist and his "bachelor pad of aging musicians", including the charming Guitar Shorty and lovably quirky Moogstar, navigate the tumultuous music industry, transform their home into an artistic playground and invite fellow musicians like Jenny Lewis and John Prine and superfans Mike Judge, Johnny Knoxville and Tom Kenny to play in their unique musical sandbox... and paint Swamp Dogg's pool. Bursting with infectious personality and stoner energy, SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a music documentary unlike any other.
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Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted

Critics Reviews

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Ben Kenigsberg New York Times May 9
The movie offers full-on immersion, or perhaps submersion, in Swamp Dogg’s world. Go to Full Review
Daniel Fienberg The Hollywood Reporter May 7
Overall, Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted is good for a few laughs, possibly some tears and a level of reflection that is at least adjacent to profundity. Go to Full Review
Christian Zilko IndieWire May 7
B+
Music documentaries have been almost irritatingly omnipresent in recent years, but “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted” is a refreshing change of pace that should delight even the most genre-fatigued viewer. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Jul 11
While the documentary is probably best suited to match Swamp Dogg’s style, it could be exhausting for someone trying to keep the timeline straight and more left-brained. Go to Full Review
Christian Craig In Review Online Jun 6
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted is as breezy and cockeyed as its title suggests... [switching] gears as playfully as Swamp changes genres. Go to Full Review
Stephen Silver The SS Ben Hecht May 30
Swamp Dogg and friends are an enjoyable group of people to spent 90 minutes with. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Daisy May 11 Very fun watch! It’s light-hearted yet significant in that in some ways it is giving Swamp Dogg his flowers for his prolific career in the music industry. See more Aaron T @Azpop 5d If you want to have your mind blown, this is the film for you to watch and forever remember. Few films like this have the sincere touch and acid trip adventure of a life that Mr Swamp Dogg had lived. Take a chance and be forever grateful that this film exist. See more Robin C Jun 6 “Swamp Dog Gets His Pool Painted” Jerry Williams had a successful career in R&B music during the 50s and 60s. Then, in 1970, he took on the persona that he keeps to this day. And, we get to see “Swamp Dog Gets His Pool Painted.” As a guy who thinks he knows the music of the 50s thru the 70s, I did not know about Swamp Dogg and his copious recording catalogue that spanned decades. We meet Jerry as he consults to get his pool painted and start to get to know the guy. Then, we meet his roommates – child-like Moogstar, who is a savant playing any and all instruments, and his long-time collaborator and roomie of 18 years, Guitar Shorty. It is a funky little household with their own recording studio and steady supply of food and beverage. Along with this getting-to-know-you portion of the film, we get the Jerry William/Swamp Dog story from his very early days through his long and colorful carrier. The many singles he created are shown in a flow of the record labels and titles that come at you straight on and quickly. It is telling that it took a while to show all of his records. Directors Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson and David McMurry do a fine job of collecting archival footage of the Dogg’s long career and intersperse that history with free-wheeling interviews with the musicians that are always entertaining. The Dogg is also visited, during the course of his story, by such folk as Johnny Knoxville, Mike Judge and singer John Prine The directors and their subject corrected a big lack in my knowledge of music. Thank you and thanks to Swamp Dogg and his cronies, too. Sadly, we lost Guitar Shorty during the filming of this well-done document. Oh, and the pool painting is worth the wait. B+ See more Jun 1 I really didn’t know what to expect, but totally enjoyed the movie! Really fun story! See more Stephen C @bob25009 May 30 1 hour and 35 minutes of real footage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $50,800.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Howard G. @Howard May 16 My first time through I loved the people, humor and energetic presentation. The second time through, I still love Swamp, Moog Star and Guitar Shorter but appreciate more the thoughtful way the film presents the choices each made in how to live their lives. See more Read all reviews
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted

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Movie Info

Synopsis SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a wildly entertaining and fittingly unconventional documentary about convention-defying singer, songwriter and record producer Jerry Williams, aka Swamp Dogg, one of the great cult figures of 20th-century American music whose singular voice and ideas have shaped the history not merely of soul music, but of country, hip-hop and a dozen other genres. In the film, the titular artist and his "bachelor pad of aging musicians", including the charming Guitar Shorty and lovably quirky Moogstar, navigate the tumultuous music industry, transform their home into an artistic playground and invite fellow musicians like Jenny Lewis and John Prine and superfans Mike Judge, Johnny Knoxville and Tom Kenny to play in their unique musical sandbox... and paint Swamp Dogg's pool. Bursting with infectious personality and stoner energy, SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a music documentary unlike any other.
Director
Ryan Olson, Isaac Gale
Producer
Isaac Gale, Paul Lovelace, David McMurry, Ryan Olson, Ben Wu
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Genre
Documentary, Music, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 2, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA)
$50.8K
Runtime
1h 35m
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