Touchstone Home Entertainment

Credits

Descriptions by
Jess Williams, Kris Starring, V of Doom and TheLogoFan2004

Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, Wisp2007, and snelfu

Editions by
Michael Kenchington and Tjdrum2000

Background

Touchstone Home Entertainment (formerly Touchstone Home Video) was the home entertainment arm of Touchstone Pictures, established in 1984 to distribute all of the studio's releases on video.

1st Logo (August 1984-January 8, 1986)

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Visuals: Over a white background is the Touchstone logo with the stacked text "TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO" underneath. The logo fades out after 15 seconds.

Variant: A variant with "DISTRIBUTED BY" below the logo exists, which can be found on the Australian VHS release of Splash.

Technique: A hand-drawn graphic with cross-dissolve transitions.

Audio: None.

Availability:

• This logo is only seen on early video releases of the first Touchstone movies, such as Splash and My Science Project, among others. Most of these video releases (with the exception of My Science Project) were packaged in the same sealed clamshell boxes Disney used on their "Neon Mickey" releases.
• This logo is absent on the VHS/Beta releases of Country and the Wildside episode "Buffalo Who?".

2nd Logo (September 23, 1986-November 1987, UK: 1986-1993)

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  French variant
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  German variant
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  Greek variant
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  Finnish variant

Visuals: At the bottom of the black screen is a blue circle beside the words "TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO", looking just like the standard movie logo of the time, but in CGI. The text lights up section by section like a flashlight, and when the "light" reaches the circle, the circle flashes and a gold streak appears on it.

Variants:

• On a few UK VHS releases, this logo was seen with the words "COMING SOON FROM" in Windsor Bold above the main logo. In addition, the music is also slightly louder.
  • A version with "ALSO AVAILABLE FROM" in the same font also exists.
  • Another version has "LOOK OUT FOR THESE OTHER MOVIES FROM" in ITC Souvenir, which fades out after the bolt appears. The text was lazily edited into the top of the screen, as the top part of the flash is cut off.
  • A "COMING SOON" variant with the same ITC Souvenir font exists.
  • A one-off Coming Soon variant also exists, which can be found on the UK VHS release of Line of Duty, where the "COMING SOON FROM" text uses the same font as the Buena Vista Home Video variant that is seen on that release.
• On some Australian and Japanese releases, the logo is positioned in the middle of the screen. For the closing variant of the former country, the logo is in the same position with the words "DISTRIBUTED BY" in white underneath. The Roadshow Home Video logo follows.
• On French releases, "EGALEMENT DISPONIBLE DANS VOTRE VIDEOCLUB" appears on top of the logo with a letter-by-letter effect.
• On German releases, "Demnächst von" fades in on the very top of the frame.
• On Greek releases, "ΠΡΟΣΕΝΩΣ" fades in on the top of the logo.
• On Finnish releases, "ESITTÄÄ" fades in below the logo.
• A special variant appears on Japanese Bandai Video Network tapes. It starts off with the orb and the text coming towards the screen. Once they reach the screen, the regular animation for the logo plays, except the text changes from blue to yellow. Once the streak hits the orb, the logo transitions to the standard logo and afterwards the Bandai Video Network logo, similar to the variant used in Japanese Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment tapes.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A series of synthesized bells, ending in a "twang" when the streak appears, composed by John Debney (who also composed the music for the 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo and the 2007-2014 ABC Studios logo). The music is slightly distorted, and it also begins late and cuts off early.

Audio Variants: Brian Cummings was used as an announcer for previews on a few VHS releases.

• Tin Man preview: "And don't forget these other great titles from Touchstone Home Video." The Ruthless People trailer's theme is played instead of the logo's music.
• Off Beat preview: "From Touchstone Home Video, their special preview of the hit feature starring Judge Reinhold and Meg Tilly..." followed by said movie title.
• The Color of Money preview: "And now, for one of the year's top films..." again followed by said movie title.
• Down and Out in Beverly Hills preview: "And now, here's a look at the Touchstone Home Video smash comedy hit..." once again followed by the movie title. This one uses the undistorted version of the logo's music.

Availability:

• This logo is only seen on 1986-87 Touchstone VHS releases, starting with the 1986 VHS release of Down and Out in Beverly Hills.
• This logo was also used up to early 1993 on UK releases such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
• It can also be seen on the 1990 Canadian VHS release of Gross Anatomy, while the U.S. print uses the following logo.
• One of the last UK releases to feature this logo is Consenting Adults.
• Following the 1987 VHS release of Tin Men, VHS releases from Touchstone did not include any home video signifier until the 1989 VHS release of Cocktail.
• It can also be found on the 1989 UK VHS release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), the 1991 UK VHS release of Pretty Woman (1990) and the 1993 UK VHS release of Father of the Bride (1991), respectively.

3rd Logo (April 18, 1989-August 5, 2003)

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Visuals: On a black background, a blue oblong moves from the right side of the screen to the left. As it shrinks to the left of the screen, the stacked text "TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO" slides next to it. After the oblong morphs into a blue ball, and the text shines from right to left before hitting the ball, which flashes and glows orange, gaining the streak from the last two logos on it.

Variants:

• The "HOME VIDEO" version has two variants; the VHS version has a video-generated fade-out, while the LaserDisc and DVD version has a film-generated fadeout.
• The "HOME VIDEO" version of the logo is doubled on some early 2000s UK VHS releases, where the logo plays as usual before the previews, it reappears after the Feature Presentation bumper and just before the theatrical Touchstone Pictures logo appears.
• The positioning of the logo varies.
• Starting in the early 2000's, a new variant was made to coincide with the release of DVD releases. The picture quality is improved over the earlier variant, and the words "HOME VIDEO" are replaced with "HOME ENTERTAINMENT". Only a few DVD releases feature this variant as most use the earlier "HOME VIDEO" version; later VHS releases used this towards the end of 2003.
• A version of the "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" logo exists, which has a smoother frame rate and the trailing animation is slightly sped-up. It can be found on the U.S. demo VHS release of Crazy/Beautiful, though the actual VHS and DVD releases use the "HOME VIDEO" variant instead. It is also seen on the 2002 VHS reprints of Cocktail and Nothing to Lose, as well as on later Australian VHS releases from the company, such as Bubble Boy.
• "NOW YOU CAN OWN YOUR FAVORITE HIT MOVIES..." appears over the logo on various 1990-1992 sell-thru VHS releases that feature the Touchstone Home Video promo at the start, kept in print until 2002. The last new VHS release to use this variant was the summer 1992 reprint of The Doctor.
• On the 1992 U.S. demo VHS release of Sister Act, following the standard Touchstone Home Video logo, a still version of the logo fades in with the text "Coming From" above the logo and "at $19.99 S.R.P." below the logo, in the same color as the text in the logo. The screen fades to black after about five seconds. This precedes a sell-thru trailer for Father of the Bride.
• On a few early 2000s UK VHS releases such as Shanghai Noon, a still shot of this logo was seen, positioned upwards with "PRESENTS" in a yellow/gold font below, accompanied by the logo's theme.
• On early UK VHS releases with this logo, such as the 1993 releases of Sister Act and The Distinguished Gentleman, the logo plays normally, but when the text shines, the words "COMING SOON FROM" or "ALSO AVAILABLE FROM" in a gold font fades in above.
• On an Italian trailer for Armageddon (Armageddon - Giudizio finale), the logo is an edited still version of the movie logo, with "HOME VIDEO" (in a different font) replacing "PICTURES".
• Superimposed variants of the "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" variant also exist.

Technique: Cel animation done by the animation division of Walt Disney Productions (now known as Walt Disney Animation Studios).

Audio: The music from the movie logo, composed by John Debney. Up until the early 2000's, the same distorted audio mix from the second logo was used; on LaserDisc and DVD releases featuring the "HOME VIDEO" variant, as well as the original VHS release of Dick Tracy, the music abruptly stops before the logo actually ends.

Audio Variants:

• On Touchstone's first sell-thru releases from 1989, the "HOME VIDEO" version includes an announcer, Brian Cummings, announcing over the logo, "Now you can own these hit titles from Touchstone Home Video!". On the 1989 reprint of Stakeout, only one preview is on the tape, so the announcement mentions "this hit title" instead of "these hit titles".
• On the 1991 U.S. demo VHS releases of Green Card and White Fang, as well as the 1991 VHS releases of Arachnophobia and Taking Care of Business, the logo is silent and cut down to the last five seconds. Brian Cummings also announces "Coming from Touchstone Home Video." over the bumper.
• The still variant from the 1992 U.S. demo VHS release of Sister Act uses the theme from the 1991 gold Walt Disney Home Video logo, and the same Brian Cummings announcement as the previous variant.
• On Australian VHS releases, the 1997 LaserDisc release of Con Air, and some DVD releases, such as the 2000 DVD releases of Shanghai Noon and High Fidelity and the 2002 DVD release of Captain Ron, among others, the home video version of this logo uses the audio track from the movie logo.
• On the 2000 DVD release of Adventures In Babysitting, the 2001 UK VHS release of Pearl Harbor and the 2002 UK VHS release of The Count of Monte Cristo, the logo is silent.

Availability:

• Debuting on the 1989 U.S. VHS release of Cocktail, this logo can be found on most Touchstone VHS and DVD releases from the era until 2003, even on releases following the 2002 logo's debut such as Signs and Spike Lee's 25th Hour.
  • This is also seen on the 2005 UMD for PSP release of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• This logo is omitted on the UK DVD release of What About Bob?, which uses the Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment logo instead.
• It can also be found on some UK VHS releases of Dimension/Miramax titles in the mid-90s, such as Emma, Pulp Fiction (this was also retained at the start of an old Sky Movies UK airing of said title, meaning they used a transfer of the UK video master) and Muriel's Wedding.
• It is also seen before the Miramax Home Entertainment logo on the 1994 U.S. VHS release of Like Water for Chocolate, and can also be found on the U.S. demo VHS releases of Mediterraneo, Farewell My Concubine, The Crow and The Snapper (the retail versions used the Miramax Home Entertainment logo).
• It is also seen before the previews on the Thai VCD release of Starsky & Hutch.
• This logo is omitted on the UK VHS release of Reign of Fire, which opens with the normal movie logo instead.
• It may also be found on international DVD releases of seasons 1 and 2 of Alias, given the Touchstone Home Entertainment print logo is on the box, cover and disc artwork, otherwise it will have the Buena Vista Home Entertainment logo.
• VCD releases in Thailand and Indonesia continued to use this logo until 2011 (one example being When in Rome).
• This logo can also be found on the 2004 Thai VCD release of Walt Disney Pictures' Miracle, before the previews (the black version of the 2001 Walt Disney Home Entertainment logo is seen before the film); and on the Indonesian VCD release of I Am Number Four, released in April 2011.
• It is also seen on the Australian VHS release of First Kid, once again before the previews (the 1990s Disney Videos logo is seen before the film).
• It is also seen on the French SECAM VHS release of Cool Runnings (Rasta Rockett) (1993).
• Although the Touchstone Home Entertainment print logo is seen on the cover and disc artwork of the UK DVD release of The Three Musketeers (1993), said release opens with the 1995 Disney Videos logo instead.
• This logo also makes an appearance on the Mexican Spanish-subtitled VHS release of The Lion King (El rey león) while the dubbed version itself opens with the 1995 Disney Videos logo.
• It can also be found on the 1996 UK VHS release of Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995).

4th Logo (January 20, 2004-December 19, 2017)

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Visuals: On a black background, the streak from the previous logo flashes and zooms back onto a grey-blue 3D sphere. After that, the text "TOUCHSTONE HOME ENTERTAINMENT" zooms out, and a shadow is then lit up. The streak also lets out orange light flares that die down when the text settles in place.

Variant: In 2011, the logo changed to just a still variant with the streak shining. This was only seen as a screensaver on Blu-rays from 2011 to the present, similar to the Walt Disney Home Entertainment screensaver variant.

Technique: CGI by Picturemill.

Audio: The John Debney-composed music from the movie logo, but it's undistorted this time around.

Availability: This logo can be found on all Touchstone releases from 2004 onward (including The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Wild Hogs, The Proposal, and Confessions of a Shopaholic); it appeared in print form starting with mid-2003 releases.

• It is also seen on 2004 and 2005 VHS releases, including Open Range, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Village, Mr. 3000, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and A Lot Like Love, the latter being the last VHS ever released from the company.
• This logo also plasters over the previous logo on the 2004 Australian Buena Vista DVD re-release of 10 Things I Hate About You.
• The final regular appearance of this logo was on the 2017 4K UHD release of The Prestige; however, it was also seen on the remastered Blu-ray on the 4K UHD set of Unbreakable (region A copies only).
• This logo can also be found respectively before the film on the Thai VCD releases of Veronica Guerin and Ladder 49 (the previous logo is seen before the previews).