Touchstone and Beyond: The Year in Review of Movie Watching 2025-2026

Elevator Pitch

So what does a year of movie watching bring when you are close to finishing the Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures film vault? Well some were good, some were bad, some were downright terrible, and some were brilliant.

Disney started these shingles of Walt Disney Pictures to make more adult-oriented films. This was a way of moving the company forward into the 1980’s and 1990’s, but what surprises me the most is that when I think about Disney films today, they'd rarely ever consider making movies like they used to. 

In no particular order, here is the best and worst of my last year of movie watching. 

The Orson Welles Award of Brilliance

What is a great film? Does it have to be funny, heartwarming, authentic, or just have a great script and cast? Over the past year, I have watched many movies, but the best of the list from my Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures journey have a little of everything that makes me happy. 

Roommates is one of those movies that has stuck with me since I first saw it as a kid. From the heartwarming story to the pairing of Peter Falk and D.B. Sweeney, I loved the grandfather-grandson relationship so much that whenever this film was on cable, I couldn’t not watch it. Rewatching it now, I still smile at the joy that Falk brings to the role of Rocky, and while I believe that Julianne Moore should have more to do in the film, it’s the love that Falk has as Rocky for his grandson that makes my heart melt. 

The Doctor is always one of those films that sat on the periphery of my movie-going. I knew about it when it came out, but never had an interest in seeing it. Now, I can say that it is a marvel of filmmaking with probably one of William Hurt’s best performances. His cocky hotshot surgeon is humbled when he is diagnosed with cancer. This life changing moment changes him forever and to see him take that journey and for the film to show how his life changes is what makes The Doctor a quiet champion of the best in filmmaking. 

Mumford is a slow burn introspective movie from the mind of Lawrence Kasdan which has viewers wondering why Loren Dean is pretending to be a therapist. It’s part personal growth and part small town life, and never have I ever wanted to step into a movie town more than what we find in Mumford. I just wish the film could have used Martin Short in a better way. 

Disorganized Crime is the rare heist film that is not overburdened with action set pieces, but rather hysterical comedy moments of idiocy and absurdity, that the movie goer will laugh themselves silly. I loved this film, and when a movie has a diverse cast from Fred Gwynne to Lou Diamond Phillips and Ed O’Neill, this movie will make you laugh, and will definitely keep you entertained. 

Blaze is the type of film that could immediately be a turn off to the majority of audiences. The story of a horny southern governor and his courtship of a burlesque dancer doesn’t fill theatres. However, when you have Paul Newman playing the elder governor, and Lolita Davidovich as the title character Blaze, there is magic on the screen. Newman’s performance is all over the map as rage induced anger against injustice to curmudgeonly indignation against the people who try to stop him. As much as I love Paul Newman, this movie shines because of a star-making performance by Lolita Davidovich. Few people can steal the spotlight from Paul Newman, but Davidovich not only steals the spotlight she makes you forget about anything else that matters. Few people have that power and Blaze viewers are in for a treat with this forgotten gem of the Touchstone vault. 

The Alan Smithee Award of Anonymity 

Here are three films that really stood out for their lack of wonder and awe that many films create in the viewer. The fact that they weren’t funny and had bad scripts is another strike against them.

Color of Night is terrible. This Bruce Willis thriller was trying to cash in on the box office bonanza that brought fame to Basic Instinct and Sharon Stone. Color of Night has an awful script with bizarre supporting characters and a film that is focused on sex and nothing else. It feels like a bad made for cable film, but it just happens to star Bruce Willis.

My Father the Hero is without a doubt in my mind one of the worst films ever made. This is a film that is centered around the idea of a teenaged girl that pretends her dad is her older boyfriend while on vacation, so she can impress a boy. Played by Katherine Heigl, her character is exploited in the film, with far too many leery shots of her behind, and with Gerard Depardieu playing her dad, it leaves a bad taste in any viewer’s mouth. The fact that neither character is likeable doesn’t help the movie.

The Good Mother has a great cast with an interesting focus on a divorced woman who is trying to rebuild her life with a new relationship while coparenting her young daughter. This movie falls off the rails when said boyfriend allows her child to touch his crotch, and thinks this isn’t wrong to do, because they are trying to keep an open dialogue with the young girl about sex and sexuality. Actually, that is what we would call sexual assault. The Good Mother is layered with great parts but covered with foul-tasting filling, that would make anyone who is starving, spit out their food.  

Bill’s Spicy Take

Disney struggles today to make quality adult-oriented films because the market for movies is focused on the amount of money made on opening weekend, and whether it will play in foreign markets to success. The billion-dollar club has destroyed the quality of films and the depth of movies from Disney because the profit is more important. How Tron Ares got made is beyond me because that film cost a lot of money, failed at the box office and yielded nothing for the theme park attractions.

However, there is hope from Disney. Searchlight and 20th Century Studios continue to produce more adult content, just not at the level that the House of Mouse used to create. 

Coming Attractions

‘Touchstone and Beyond’ returns in two weeks with a look back at one of the many production ventures that helped aid in the creation of many Touchstone Pictures films. In two weeks, we look at the history of Silver Screen Partners and why this was very important for Disney.