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 Pict...
May 29, 2023•58 min
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 help...
May 15, 2023•44 min
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 ...
May 01, 2023•47 min
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 lengt...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 10 min
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 an...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 1 min
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 gl...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 27 min
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...
Mar 06, 2023•52 min
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 aime...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min
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-...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 7 min
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, an...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 33 min
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 unem...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 7 min
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!
Aug 30, 2022•3 min
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...
Apr 26, 2022•1 hr 7 min
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 crowd...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 9 min
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. The...
Mar 07, 2022•57 min
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 ...
Feb 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min
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 d...
Feb 07, 2022•50 min
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 sev...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 11 min
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 o...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 5 min
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 ende...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 10 min
We wrap up the summer of 1993 on Out of Touchstone by looking at three comedies involving resurrection and unconventional love. First up is MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK from Touchstone Pictures, a wickedly dark comedy with an outstanding supporting cast (featuring several stars in the making). Both Mike and Chad enjoyed the wackiness of the film and wish Hollywood would produce more like it. From there, the co-hosts compare this zombie romance to two other films in the Disney catalog, focusing on the the...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Crime continues not to pay in the summer of 1993, and on this episode of Out of Touchstone our hosts look at the long arm of the law and some questionable decisions from reluctant criminals. We kick off with the Touchstone sequel ANOTHER STAKEOUT, which allows Mike and Chad to question why it was even made while marvelling at the power of a sweet moustache. We then shift our focus from police work to those skirting the law in two films from Hollywood Pictures: FATHER HOOD, featuring Patrick Sway...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 18 min
We continue in the summer of 1993 by looking at some difficult subject matter on Out of Touchstone. First up is the musical biopic WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, which features two outstanding lead performances and an unflinching look at domestic violence. From there, Chad and Mike compare the tale of Ike and Tina Turner to two films from Hollywood Pictures: a musically-inspired drama set in Nazi Germany (SWING KIDS) and a courtroom thriller about a manipulative lady-killer (GUILTY AS SIN)....
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 9 min
The summer of 1993 has arrived and gives us a look at precocious children and manipulative adults on Out of Touchstone. The first film that Mike and Chad discuss is the underrated Touchstone family film, LIFE WITH MIKEY, featuring Michael J. Fox as a talent agent taking in a new protegee. The child stars (Christina Vidal and David Krumholtz) are terrific and though it is quite conventional it still warms the heart. Afterwards, the co-hosts look at two more Disney films to compare and contrast th...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 15 min
The spring of 1993 brings about two films that highlight the difficulties of maturing into adulthood. First up, Mike and Chad take a deep dive into the ensemble Touchstone dramedy INDIAN SUMMER, which features a group of characters longing for their younger days. While neither co-host felt the film had much of a plot, we both loved the terrific cast. Finally, we look at the Hollywood Pictures epic BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT, focusing on a group of men who have to come to grips with the long-lasting cons...
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 4 min
We continue along in 1993 by looking at two exclusive clubs and the drama unfolding amongst their members. THE CEMETERY CLUB is the first group under the microscope, as Mike and Chad dissect the tale of three Jewish widows attempting to move on with their lives in this heartwarming Touchstone Picture. The performances are solid (especially Danny Aiello) and the film does have some nice sentimental touches. From there, the co-hosts look at another Disney organization - THE JOY LUCK CLUB, courtesy...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr
We begin another year on Out of Touchstone, kicking off 1993 by looking at films involving characters fighting against the elements. First up is the harrowing Touchstone film ALIVE, the inspiring true story of a group of plane crash survivors stranded in the Andes Mountains. It's a very powerful film, but both Mike and Chad felt that it was also hard to watch at times due to the intense subject matter and speed at which the events unfold on screen. Finally, the hosts look at two entries from Wal...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 7 min
It's time for a special episode of Out of Touchstone as we had the pleasure of interviewing Marty Kaplan: He's a fascinating individual who has spent time working under a U.S. President and now has an esteemed academic career. But in the 1980s he was a Vice President with Touchstone Pictures, and then worked as a writer/producer for Disney in the 1990s. He shares some detailed stories about developing ideas and working with Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg during the formation of the new To...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 7 min
It was a quiet year for Touchstone as 1992 saw the studio only release six films, but Mike and Chad still had a fun time picking their favorites of the bunch. While two films received the lion's share of praise, the other four still garnered attention for some wonderful performances. Franchises were established, filmmakers began relationships with the studio, and some iconic characters were born. In addition, both Walt Disney Pictures AND Hollywood Pictures made some respectable (and underrated)...
May 10, 2021•53 min
We wrap up 1992 on Out of Touchstone by looking at shady protagonists with questionable backgrounds. First up is the Touchstone comedy CAPTAIN RON, featuring a stellar comedic turn from Kurt Russell but a dismal script with lame jokes aplenty. Finally, Chad and MIke focus on three more films - Disney's ALADDIN and THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, and THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN from Hollywood Pictures - to judge each lead character against Captain Ron to see who is the most selfish and who has the gr...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 9 min
