Out of Touchstone

This special two-part episode looking back at the first decade of Touchstone Pictures concludes with Mike and Chad analyzing the success of Touchstone films at the box office during the Eisner/Katzenberg regime, and how the "Disney Renaissance" brought the studio back to the forefront of the moviegoing public's collective mind. Finally, the co-hosts share their Top Ten favorite films from 1984 to 1994 across all three Disney divisions: Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures. Now...it's on to 1995!

Before moving on to Disney's 1995 slate, let's take one final look at the first ten years of Touchstone Pictures - in Part 1 of this two-part episode, Mike and Chad touch on Disney's earliest forays into live-action films, the legacy of their animated content, and Ron Miller's wish to produce films that appealed to older audiences without the "family friendly" stigma associated with the studio. Lastly, the co-hosts single out some of the Disney films from the late 1970s and early 1980s that helped spawn the need for Touchstone Pictures, such as THE BLACK HOLE, NIGHT CROSSING and TRENCHCOAT.

While Touchstone did manage to win a couple of Academy Awards in 1994, the year also provided some notorious flops for the studio. Mike and Chad look back on the year that was, handing out Ronnie Awards for their favorite films and performances - though one film received the lion's share of praise, a few others stepped up to remind us why we enjoy doing this podcast. It may not have been the best year for Touchstone, but both Disney and Hollywood Pictures provided welcome entertainment for kids and adults alike, with some lesser-known releases that still hold up today.

It's time for another special interview episode of Out of Touchstone, as Mike had the great thrill to chat with writer/director Ron Shelton! In addition to being responsible for some of the best sports movies of the last few decades, Ron also directed two features for Touchstone Pictures: BLAZE (1989) and PLAY IT TO THE BONE (2000), and shared stories about the casting and production of both films. We also talked about his upbringing in California, his minor league baseball career, and his lengthy time in Hollywood - some of which is detailed in "The Church of Baseball", his wonderful new book about his approach to the craft of screenwriting and the making of arguably his most famous film (1988's BULL DURHAM). Lastly, Ron expressed his thoughts on the state of the film industry in the 21st century, and touched on the projects he's working on that will hopefully be coming to both the big and small screen very soon.

With ED WOOD serving as Touchstone's final film of 1994 in late September, Disney leaves themselves three months to wrap up the year with five releases across multiple genres in an attempt to make as much of a mark at the box office as possible. The results were mixed, but the films served their purpose: Hollywood Pictures brought forth sci-fi horror (THE PUPPET MASTERS) and action comedy (A LOW DOWN DIRTY SHAME) for adult audiences, while Walt Disney Pictures relied on family fare to educate and entertain (SQUANTO: A WARRIOR'S TALE, THE SANTA CLAUSE, THE JUNGLE BOOK). In this unique "Touchstone-less" episode, Mike and Chad eschew their normal deep dive and give an overview of Disney's holiday slate and how they performed in theaters.

The end of Touchstone's 1994 slate brings forth one of the best films in their entire catalog: ED WOOD! In this special extended episode, Chad and Mike welcome two of their best friends from college - Mike Meyer and Sean Reynolds - for a roundtable discussion covering many aspects of this beloved entry in director Tim Burton's filmography. From the incredible performances by Martin Landau and Johnny Depp to the stellar writing of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the four friends paint a glowing portrait of a motion picture that highlights acceptance and companionship on the fringes of 1950s Hollywood and the studio system. They also touch on the career of Ed Wood himself, who was once labeled as "The Worst Director of All Time" and now stands as a shining example of the spirit of independent filmmaking. I predict...you will enjoy this lengthy podcast!!!

Disney rebounded from a difficult August 1994 with a September that brought critical acclaim but not the greatest box office results. First up, Touchstone presents a more serious Steve Martin with A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE - both Mike and Chad lauded the performances and the subtle hints of humor, but the third act doomed the film. Thankfully, Hollywood Pictures gave the co-hosts two enjoyable films to discuss in the back half of this episode: QUIZ SHOW, the epic Best Picture nominee with a stellar cast; and TERMINAL VELOCITY, a very fun popcorn film that likely would have done better had it been released during that tumultous prior month for Disney. We've got hermits raising orphans! We've got congressional hearings about TV! We've got...blond-haired Russian gangsters!?!? It's a jam-packed podcast!!

It was a month of misfortune for Disney: August 1994 brought four separate flops, though one was clearly better than the others. Touchstone gave us IT'S PAT: THE MOVIE, a poor attempt to bring the popular SNL character to the big screen. What can you say about it? Not much, and Mike and Chad preferred it that way. From there, the co-hosts turned to Hollywood Pictures, which churned out another Pauly Shore "comedy" (IN THE ARMY NOW), an erotic thriller (COLOR OF NIGHT), and an enjoyable film aimed at a pre-teen audience (CAMP NOWHERE). Disney's attempt to "cast the net wide" by releasing films in different genres aimed at different audiences at roughly the same time may not have worked, but it still made for a lively discussion on this episode.

It's now the Summer of 1994 and Disney has both a huge hit and a minor success at the box office - but sadly, neither of those came from Touchstone. As a result, the co-hosts get to do their customary deep dive into I LOVE TROUBLE, a film mostly remembered for the behind-the-scenes squabbles between its two stars, Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts. Mike and Chad both agree that it was a missed opportunity for Touchstone to cash in on the star power of the two leads, though the supporting cast is top-notch. At least Disney made out okay with the other two films mentioned on this episode: THE LION KING stands as one of their greatest achievements, and their inspirational remake of ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD was another feather in the studio's cap. You win some, you lose some.

We're excited to bring you another interview on Out of Touchstone as we sit down with Jim Burnstein, the writer of RENAISSANCE MAN who now serves as the Director of the Screenwriting Program at the University of Michigan. He discusses his career at length, beginning with his decision to become a writer and how he managed to navigate the film industry in Hollywood in the late 1970s. He then recounts the arduous process of bringing RENAISSANCE MAN through years of development to the big screen, and touches on the legacy of the film as well as its importance to one of his current co-workers: Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh. Hope you enjoy this fascinating chat with a real-life "Renaissance Man"!

Addiction and education are the topics of the day as we wrap up Spring 1994 on Out of Touchstone by looking at two of the studio's offerings. First up is WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN, which features strong dramatic performances from Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in a hard-hitting look at the effects of alcholism on the family unit. We both enjoyed the film, even though the supporting cast was underutilized. Then we shift our focus to the charming RENAISSANCE MAN, the Danny Devito-led comedy about an unemployed businessman teaching Shakespeare to Army recruits. Mike loved the film as it reminded him why he started this podcast in the first place: to provide a chance to uncover some hidden gems that we missed during their initial theatrical release. Our long hiatus is over and we are happy to be back!

Mike provides a brief update on the show: please bear with us through this delay, as we are excited to re-start the show and post new episodes soon. Thank you for listening!

April 1994 has arrived on Out of Touchstone, as we look at three Disney films that feature younger characters growing up somewhat quickly. First up from Touchstone Pictures is THE INKWELL, a unique look at affluent African Americans in the 1970s and the psychological progression of an impressionable young man. Mike and Chad both agreed that the film was not what they expected and had a great cast, but was doomed by its mismatched tone. The co-hosts then look at the maturation of young men in two unique settings: HOLY MATRIMONY, the Hollywood Pictures story involving bizarre marriage laws; and WHITE FANG 2: MYTH OF THE WHITE WOLF from Walt Disney Pictures, the mediocre sequel to their 1991 Jack London adaptation.

It's March 1994 and Disney has decided to release three movies set during the holidays or around winter - time for the guys from Out of Touchstone to put on their warm weather clothes! First up, Mike and Chad do a deep dive into Touchstone's THE REF, a wonderfully underrated dark comedy with a stellar cast that deserves to be a Christmas staple. From there, the co-hosts look at ANGIE (from Hollywood Pictures) and D2: THE MIGHTY DUCKS (from Walt Disney Pictures) to see how they fared in the crowded box office landscape of family comedies and Oscar contenders.

We continue into February 1994 on Out of Touchstone, which features two films that include questionable romantic entanglements. We start with the unsettling Touchstone comedy MY FATHER THE HERO, which creeped out both of the hosts and made them question the laws in the Bahamas. Maybe something was lost in translation from the original French version of the film? Thankfully, Mike and Chad both found comfort in Disney's BLANK CHECK, a much more harmless look at a kid spinning an elaborate lie. They may have come out in the same month, but the films are miles apart in terms of entertainment value.

We've come to 1994 on Out of Touchstone, which brings us a series of adventures for the new year. We kick things off with the low-budget (and low-brow) comedy CABIN BOY, a star vehicle that Mike had a real hard time watching, though Chad did find it slightly enjoyable. Thankfully there were two other films released by Disney in the same month - THE AIR UP THERE (from Hollywood Pictures) and IRON WILL (from Walt Disney Films) - for the co-hosts to compare to Touchstone's flop. It's Chris Elliott on the high seas! It's Kevin Bacon in Africa! It's Mackenzie Astin in the Great White North! Adventure awaits!!

1993 brought us several notable films and performances from the Touchstone library, so Mike and Chad take this opportunity to shine a light on their favorites. While one film dominates the Ronnie Awards due to its technical achievement and another draws praise for its superb acting, there were also a few hidden gems that the co-hosts found pleasantly surprising. On top of that, both Walt Disney Pictures and Hollywood Pictures managed to release some easily overlooked films during the year that definitely merit reconsideration in the streaming age. All in all, it was an unspectacular-but-solid year for Disney and we had a blast reminiscing about how these movies left their mark both during their initial release and now three decades later.

We’re looking at the role of saviors as we come to the end of 1993 on Out of Touchstone: we start with Whoopi Goldberg’s return to the fold in SISTER ACT 2, another mostly unnecessary sequel from Touchstone that doesn’t quite capture the charm of the original film. Mike and Chad then turn their gaze to period pieces involving soldiers (Disney’s THE THREE MUSKETEERS) and lawmen (Hollywood’s TOMBSTONE), in order to compare their heroic exploits to Touchstone’s singing nuns. Listen as we answer several burning questions, including “Which group needed saving the most?” and “Who had the best mustache in TOMBSTONE?”

Two of Disney's most peculiar films of 1993 are the focus of this episode of Out of Touchstone: first we look at Touchstone's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, a landmark of stop-motion animation with a fantastic soundtrack, which has since been re-branded as a full-fledged Walt Disney film. The film has a solid legacy, as compared to the other film that Mike and Chad discuss: SUPER MARIO BROS. from Hollywood Pictures, which does have some amazing world-building, but also retains a certain level of notoriety from its doomed production. Both films are bizarre and strange - but is that necessarily a bad thing?

The fall of 1993 brings us a few sports movies to discuss on Out of Touchstone, starting with THE PROGRAM: a melodramatic look at a struggling football team. Mike and Chad both felt the Touchstone drama was just a little too corny to be taken seriously, even though it did shed some light on important issues facing student-athletes. The co-hosts then look at two other sporting efforts from the studio - Hollywood Pictures' ASPEN EXTREME and Walt Disney's COOL RUNNINGS - comparing the athletic endeavors (and personal drama) from the winter sports of skiing and bobsledding to the high stakes world of college football.