Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Lee Eisenberg You'll probably read descriptions of "Bad Ronald" that make it sound like a horror movie. A more accurate description would be a thriller. One of the many TV movies that became vogue in the 1970s, it focuses on a socially inept teenager who accidentally kills a girl and hides in a crawlspace in his house. Things turn ugly after his mother dies and a new family moves in.It's easy to feel sympathy for Ronald until he lets his imagination take over. Seriously, this boy turns psychotic. It reminded me of the imaginary world that the girls create in "Heavenly Creatures". I wouldn't call "Bad Ronald" a great movie but it's worth seeing. I guess that one could view it as a look at the underbelly of the middle-class lifestyle.The cast includes Kim Hunter (Stella in "A Streetcar Named Desire"), John Larch (the police chief in "Dirty Harry") and Dabney Coleman (the boss in "9 to 5").

Woodyanders Gawky misfit teen Ronald (a truly spooky and unnerving performance by Scott Jacoby; the gimpy magician in "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane") accidentally kills a bratty little girl. He's subsequently hidden in a secret room of an old Victorian house by his sickly, smothering mother (a wonderful portrayal by "Planet of the Apes" film series regular Kim Hunter) in order to avoid being arrested by the authorities. Mom dies and a new family -- father Dabney Coleman, mother Pippa Scott, and their three hottie daughters Cindy Fisher, Cindy Eibacher and Lisa Eibacher -- move into the swanky and enormous abode. Ronald loses his grip on reality and disappears into an elaborate fantasy world created by his own warped overactive imagination. One fateful day he comes out of his clandestine hideaway hole to terrorize the hapless adolescent lasses when the parents leave for the weekend.One of the all-time classic 70's made-for-TV horror psycho thrillers, "Bad Ronald" 's extremely fantastic and far-fetched premise is made reasonably credible and totally compelling by journeyman TV show veteran Buzz Kulik's capable direction (along with his episodic TV show credits, Kulik also helmed the enjoyable Burt Reynolds private eye picture "Shamus" and the underrated Steve McQueen action vehicle "The Hunter"). Fred Karlin's effectively eerie score and a top-rate cast make this feature a cut above average TV movie fare. Popping up in especially nice bits are John Larch as a shrewd homicide detective and John Fiedler as a friendly real estate agent. Yeah, this film is fairly preposterous, but thankfully Jacoby's unforgettably creepy and disturbing character keeps the show gripping and harrowing right down to its thrilling climax. Jacoby's role as a murderously messed-up teenage nerd deserves a place right alongside "The Bad Seed" 's Patty McCormack and the Udvarnovsky brothers from "The Other" in the All-Time Scary Killer Kids Hall of Infamy.

sonnyncherfan This is one of my FAVORITE movies of ALL-TIME and VERY HARD TO FIND~~It took me about 6 yrs to figure out the title and another week to find it and I paid over $70 for it! The premise is of a young teen who is coddled by a protective mother and teased by peers. So much so that one day he actually has to hide from the outside world and his mom helps him make a living area, behind the pantry, in back of the staircase, unobservable to visitors to the house. But what happens when she dies and he needs to get food and take care of his basic necessities? The Brady Bunch type family moves in and Ronald has drawn artwork on the walls in his cubby, and written a fantasy-novel that shows his romantic feelings but also his mixed-up mind...A GREAT movie to spook you if you live in an old house...and the simple, 70's special effects make this a great thrill, that is not even diminished by it being in black and white.

jsfmt99 One of the better TV movies from 1970's I saw this movie a long time ago. I remember it well and I loved it. Ronald Wilby accidentally kills a girl. In order to avoid prosecution from the police, Ronald and his mother construct a secret chamber in the house where Ronald hides and lives. Ronald's mother tells him that she has to leave for a week to have an operation but she dies. As a result, a new family moves into the Wilby house while Ronald continues to live in the walls and spy on the new family and their three daughters. As the movie continues, Ronald sinks deeper and deeper into madness creating and living in his own world called "ATRANTA". In his world, Ronald becomes "Prince Norbert" the ruler of Atranta. Ronald also falls in love with the youngest of the daughters who he calls "Princess Vancetta". He eventually kidnaps her. This movie was really creepy and suspenseful for its time. I loved the scene where the nosy neighbor Mrs. Schumacher caught Ronald raiding the refrigerator. The movie is a watered down version of the novel by John Holbrook Vance, but in the 1970's censorship, most TV movies were also watered down this way. It is definitely dated and the clothes that people wear in this movie are those reminiscent of the ones worn by the Brady Bunch. By today's standards, this movie would be considered to be campy but it is definitely worth a look because it is a good story! The ending was pretty wild too!! Emmy Winner Scott Jacoby did a great job as Ronald Wilby. He handled his role very well and brought a good deal of complexity and depth to his character. Remember how he was knawing on that candy bar? Oscar winning actress Kim Hunter(also known for her role as Dr. Zera in the "Planet of the apes" movies) played his doting mother who had high aspirations for Ronald to become a doctor. A very young Dabney Coleman played Mr. Wood, who moved his wife and three daughters into the Wilby house unaware of Ronald's probing eyes spying on them from behind the walls. This movie is still around and you can buy it on VHS on Ebay. It sells on Ebay very fast and it took me 4 tries to finally buy it. Collectors are after this movie because an original VHS with the original artwork cover of it is very rare. As far as I know, a DVD version of it hasn't been released. However, you can buy a high quality DVD copy. Follow the link: http://www.franksreelreviews.com/shorttakes/buybr.htm I posted some "BAD RONALD" trivia questions here on the message board. If you are a true "BAD RONALD" fan, check out the message board here and see how many Bad Ronald trivia questions that you can answer. Good Luck!