Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

moonspinner55 Scott Jacoby gives a memorably creepy performance in this popular TV-movie about a young fugitive from the law who lives in the walled-up guest bathroom of his house after his divorced mother dies and a new family moves in. Interesting, if far-fetched premise, adapted by Andrew Peter Marin from a novel by John Holbrook Vance, contains some startling scenes handled well by veteran director Buzz Kulik. Although brief at 72 minutes, the movie utilizes its time well; Kulik was obviously working against the restraints of a low budget and content requirements for television, but he admirably doesn't treat this scenario lightly. Jeered teenager Ronald, who lives in a fantasy world of doomed medieval lovers, isn't simply a misfit--he's seriously touched in the head--and Jacoby doesn't attempt to make him likable. The supporting performances are uneven, ranging from stilted to overly-broad (the nosy neighbor), yet the dark, edgy mood of the piece is conveyed very well.

TheBlueHairedLawyer Ronald Wilby certainly isn't your run-of-the-mill, sadistic and cruel serial killer. Played by Scott Jacoby, who starred as Mario in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), Ronald never meant to kill anyone. It was just an accident that got him condemned to living in the walls of his mom's creepy old house.So why rate this relatively unknown mystery/horror film a 10/10? Well, it has to be one of the most thrilling horror films I've ever seen, and Ronald is definitely a misunderstood character. His mother is sick and she has good intentions but doesn't understand why her son is bullied. He's a rather nerdy guy, but he also has a love for Chinese paintings, inventing his own fictional kingdom on paper. On his birthday, he stops by to see some "friends" and they all make fun of him. In dismay he leaves, only to knock the little sister of one of the bullies off her bike by mistake. She insults him, they argue, and he pushes her... and SPLAT, she hits her head on a brick of concrete.Ronald's mother helpfully hides him in the walls, in their elaborate plan to stage his supposed running away to nosy neighbors and cops. When she goes for an operation one day, she dies in the hospital, leaving a new family buying the decrepit house and poor Ronald stuck trying to keep his home, and existence, a secret, especially with Mrs. Schumacher, the next-door old bat, always peeping in the windows to spy.The soundtrack, it's very nostalgic with a 1970's atmosphere, and both melancholy and incredibly creepy, perfect for this movie. The acting was great, the plot original, and the movie was very sad in some ways but it has its comedic moments: Mrs. Schumacher makes a large assortment of funny faces each time she peeks into the window of the house. The good-natured but bumbling police officer is certainly no help, but very funny as he repeatedly is oblivious to the obvious.Don't pass this retro classic by, it's a film you'll want to see if you're an avid horror fan, mystery fan, Scott Jacoby fan or just somebody looking for an entertaining film to watch. I also recommend The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), Don't Go in the House (1979), Magic (1978) and The Changeling (1980).

Michael_Elliott Bad Ronald (1974) *** (out of 4) Creepy made-for-TV thriller about a nerdy boy named Ronald (Scott Jacoby) who is constantly picked one. One day a girl insults his mother so he accidentally kills her. Ronald tells his mother (Kim Hunter) what he has done and she suggests that he live behind the walls until everything can blow over. She goes in for an operation and dies, which means the house gets sold to a new family who Ronald stalks from behind the walls. OK, it's highly unlikely Ronald could have lived behind the walls but I'm willing to let this slide because the story itself is so good and so interesting that one can overlook a flaw here and there. I was really shocked at how drawn in I was and by the time the 70-minutes was over I had found a new favorite. The movie has an overall creepy feel from the start of the film when we see the relationship between Ronald and his mother and it gets creepier as the film goes along as Ronald slowly begins to lose his mind. The "friendships" he builds behind the walls, which forces him to come out is rather creepy and handled extremely well here. The scene where he confronts the youngest daughter living in the house has some great suspense and does the ending, which closes everything up quite nicely. I thought Jacoby was very good in his role and make the character quite believable as did Hunter. Dabney Coleman, Pippa Scott, Cindy Fisher, Cindy Eilbacher and a young Lisa Eilbacher (AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN) round out the cast and also deliver fine work. The 70's were a pretty good decade for made-for-TV films and this one has gotten one of the best reputations out there and for good reasons.

Amanda Pichurko I remember watching this movie when I was probably 13 years old. It came on late Friday or Saturday night, probably in a series called "Up All Night". If I remember correctly that was on the USA network. I remember that this movie, scared the crap out of me. The one scene where his neighbor is peeking in the window, still haunts me because I can still see her face. I wish they would release it to DVD. It gives me the creeps, but I will watch it again. If anyone knows where I can find it on DVD please let me know. It has been 18 years and I still think about it every now and then. It probably helped contribute to my insomnia when I was a kid. HA HA.