EXCLUSIVE: One of the most original and entertaining documentaries of the year is about to hit theaters.
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, about the singular musician and all-around chill personality Jerry Williams – better known as Swamp Dogg – will be released by Magnolia Pictures in L.A. theaters on May 2. It debuts in New York City on May 9.
The film directed by Isaac Gale and Ryan Olson examines Swamp Dogg and his offbeat housemates, Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, who collectively have “transformed their home into an artistic playground. Together, they navigate the tumultuous music industry, forging a unique and inspiring bond across time and space.”
Moogstar in ‘Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted’
Magnolia Pictures
Along with Swamp Dogg and pals Moogstar and Guitary Shorty, the film features Alonzo Williams, Mike Judge, Dr. Jeri Williams, Johnny Knoxville, Naeem Juwan, and John Prine. We have your first look at Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted in the trailer above.
“Bursting with infectious personality and stoner energy,” notes a release, “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted is a music documentary unlike any other.”
Debra McClutchy served as archival producer on the documentary. She appeared on an episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast last year, where she discussed her work on the film and Swamp Dogg’s background.
Swamp Dogg’s album ‘Rat On!’
Elektra Records
“He came from Portsmouth, Virginia, and he sang soul music, traditional kind of soul music, early in his life,” McClutchy explained. “And then in the ‘70s, he took on this persona of Swamp Dogg and his personality just kind of exploded in really amazing creative ways. Total Destruction of The Mind is one of the titles of his albums. And Rat On! is another title of his album, and he’s actually riding a rat, as you would a horse, on the cover of the record. And he just has this amazing sense of humor along with his amazing musicianship and singing and songwriting… He’s just a genius. He’s a true genius and hilarious and superbly entertaining.”
Filmmakers Gale and Olson also make use of a somewhat eccentric cable access TV show from decades ago called Art Fein’s Poker Party. Swamp Dogg became a frequent guest on that program.
“Actually, all credit to the filmmakers for that,” McClutchy told Doc Talk. “I did not find that, but when I saw that, I was like, ‘You have gold here. This is amazing. Use as much of it as you possibly can because it’s super entertaining.’ And you see he appeared on that show so often too. You see a trajectory of his career and you see him aging in that material, and you see Art Fein aging in that material also. So there’s a real sense of longevity with their relationship, which is so beautiful to see in an archival arc like that.”
Watch the trailer for Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted above.
Content shared from deadline.com.