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.