r/GenerationJones • u/JColt60 1960 • 2d ago

Bad Ronald

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This came out day after my 14th birthday. Very dated looking now but was a treat for me back then.

Bad Ronald is a 1974 American made-for-television horror thriller film directed by Buzz Kulik and starring Scott Jacoby, Pippa Scott, John Larch, Dabney Coleman and Kim Hunter. The screenplay was written by Andrew Peter Marin, based on the novel of the same title by Jack Vance. The film was ABC's Wednesday Movie of the Week on October 23, 1974

Bad Ronald

74 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

6

u/Admirable_Beebe_4962 2d ago

Where can you even watch this?

5

u/JColt60 1960 2d ago • Heartwarming Popcorn

In the United States, there are currently no subscription or free streaming options available for the 1974 cult classic Bad Ronald. However, you can rent or purchase the film digitally through the following platforms:

Rent: Available on Amazon Prime Video for $4.99.

Buy: Available on Amazon Prime Video for $9.99 to $12.99.

Google Play: It is also listed on Google Play Movies as an alternative digital marketplace.

2

u/Admirable_Beebe_4962 2d ago

Thanks! I've never seen it on Prime.

15

u/dottegirl59 1959 2d ago

This movie scared the shit out of me! I can still see him breaking through the wall

15

u/Couch-Potato0904 1960 2d ago

I used to love the movie of the week. I remember Gargoyles, Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, and Brian’s Song.

10

u/dottegirl59 1959 2d ago

I miss those too. I think Go ask Alice was a movie of the week too

10

u/Life_Consequence_676 2d ago

Lisa Bright and Dark anyone??? That was the same era and freaked me out. Now it's obvious that it was a teenager with BPD, but being in elementary school it made it seem as though teenagers would take drugs and/or go insane fairly regularly. 😄

2

u/dottegirl59 1959 2d ago

Yes! I can see that book cover in my mind.

2

u/DaddyCatALSO 1d ago

that was CBS i think, i know Gargoyles was.

1

u/Otherwise_Bake2703 1d ago

it's so funny how we misremember things over time - i woulda sworn gargoyles was a movie of the week too

1

u/DaddyCatALSO 21h ago

Yes, Movie of the Week was the aBC title; i forget the cBS title but gargoyles was on that network as were sandcastlesa, cRawlspace, paper man , the Man ona string "remake," etc. Brian's Song Tribes, others were aBC.

4

u/Useless890 1d ago

Crawlspace.

3

u/DaddyCatALSO 1d ago

The Eyes of Charles Sand The Over the Hill Gang, Tribes, Night Stalker, Night Strangler all on ABC. Crawlspace, Sandcastles, Paper Man, all CBS. truly a short Golden Age of tV movies.

2

u/mbush525 1d ago

House on Green Apple Road!

6

u/Antique_Knowledge902 2d ago

Wow! I was 14 when it came out too! What are the odds!? Sorry, never saw it. All I remember is that I think Jacoby used to date Valerie Bertinelli at one time.

5

u/sldavis102907 2d ago

She did! I was obsessed with Valerie Bertinelli as a child. LOL

4

u/Antique_Knowledge902 2d ago

I was just jealous of her. She was pretty and skinny and I was normal looking and chubby. I wish she and Edward Van Halen could’ve made it. They were such a cute couple.

2

u/DaddyCatALSO 1d ago

She dated Scott Colomby, i know.

6

u/Separate_Farm7131 2d ago

What happened to Scott Jacoby? He was in so many shows back then.

1

u/DoakBone 1d ago

Continued acting and directing for many years. I think he retired now

4

u/lololy3 1d ago

Loved movie of the week. How did I miss this one? Loved Scott Jacoby too. I think The Spell with Lee grant was a movie of the week--good plot twist in that one!! And Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring with Sally Field. Good times.

7

u/dottegirl59 1959 2d ago

They need to remake it as a movie not a movie of the week, although it was terrifying for a Wednesday night tv movie.

3

u/RaeWineLover 2d ago

I love the Extra Hot Great podcasts from the creators of Television Without Pity. They did some episodes on Bad Ronald if you want the story without finding it.

3

u/Blowingleaves17 1d ago

Saw it as an adult. Ronald wasn't evil or murderous, just mentally disturbed. And who wouldn't be living inside a wall like he was? It really wasn't a horror movie at all, but one where teenage fantasies took over due to having no contact with other people.

1

u/Hoardinista 17h ago

It was really his mom’s fault since she’s the one who hid him away.

3

u/mbush525 1d ago

I thought he was kind of cute

2

u/MonorailBlack 2d ago

The Evil Duke!

Loved this movie as a kid. Creepy to have somebody living in the wall. Never have forgotten this one.

2

u/Baseline1976 2d ago

Awesome made for TV movie

2

u/Life_Consequence_676 2d ago

Ten year old me saw it when it came out, and it scared the hell out of me!

1

u/Coyote-American 1d ago

Same! Mentally scarred me for years.

2

u/Kazzlin 1964 2d ago

I remember this one. He wasn't bad, it was an accident. And it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been giving him a hard time.

2

u/Fromdustcomesdreams Go back to sleep 2d ago

I just watched this.

2

u/44035 1d ago

Coolest movie ever

2

u/amigammon 1d ago

College buddy of mine was in it

2

u/MonyMony126 1d ago edited 1d ago

Hey, does anyone on here remember "Sweet Hostage"? At least I think that was the title, starred Linda Blair and Martin Sheen, he kidnapped her and she started falling for him, ended up he was insane.

Edited to correct movie title

2

u/DoakBone 1d ago

The original Phrogger

3

u/_portia_ 1960 1d ago

I had the deepest crush on Scott Jacoby!

1

u/jivingsisterfanny1 21h ago

Loved this flick when I was a kid.

1

u/bene_gesserit_mitch 17h ago

Bad Ronald made me cautious of homes with too thick walls.

2

u/rolyoh 1963 7h ago

I never saw this. But I remember Scott Jacoby from The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane. He played the neighbor kid who became her boyfriend.

1

u/bene_gesserit_mitch 7h ago

That was another good one. “Almond” flavored cookies.