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"!