Pen Dasham wrote and produced Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the 1980’s revivals of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone. He often worked with John Watson, making this film and Backdraft. They wrote, directed and produced this late 80’s teen film.
Kate (Tiffany Helm, O.C. and Stiggs, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Reform School Girls), her brother Ricky (Robert Jayne, half-brother of Scott Jacoby who also is in Tremors and Dr. Alien) and their pals Danny, Val (Marc Price, Ragman!) and Bobbi buy an old nightclub from a bum named Leatherface (Ben Vereen).
Before you know it — and after getting past the adults in town — The Zoo becomes an overnight success.
That’s when the Donnelly Clan decides they want to take it over. They’re led by Little Joe, who is played by a demented looking Jackie Earl Haley nine years after The Bad News Bears and 25 years before he’d play Freddy Krueger.
His twin brothers are played by Glen and Gary Mauro, who were the twin vampires in Once Bitten.
How did this end up in wrestling week? Well, it turns out that Leatherface used to be a wrestler named The Winch and he teaches the kids how to defend themselves.
Some claim that this was the first movie to actually be awarded a PG-13 rating, despite Red Dawn being released first.
You can watch this on Tubi.
2 thoughts on “The Zoo Gang (1985)”
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I think I may have seen this on HBO/Cinemax back in the 80’s. I’ll have to watch it.
Yeah, when Sam comes up with theme weeks, it dislodges the VHS obscurities.