1st Logo
(1984-1986)

Nickname: "The Shrinking Circle"

Logo: A blue screen appears, and then begins to shrink into a blue circle (on a black background), taking position near the top of the screen. The circle then "flashes" and "lightning" appears on the top-right of the circle. The background turns into a "spotlight" formation, centered on the circle. Below the logo, the words "TOUCHSTONE FILMS" fade in.

Cheesy Factor: The "shrinking" of the circle, the flash.

Music: A "wind-blowing" sound followed by a "chime" during the flash part of the animation.

Availability: Extinct, this was used on the first Touchstone releases and was quickly replaced with the later logo. However, this logo can still be seen on releases of the period.

Scare Factor: The abrupt flash and "chimes" may catch a few off-guard.

2nd Logo
(1986-)

Nickname: "The Snake"

Logo: On a black screen, half of a blue "elongated" circle comes in from the right on the bottom of the screen, leaving the rest off-screen. The second half follows, followed by "TOUCHSTONE" and "PICTURES" in smaller letters under the logo to the left. When the circle is no longer elongated and is now a regular circle, yellow "electricity" flows across the text until it reaches the circle. When it reaches the circle, it flashes to reveal "lightning" on top.

Variants:

• For its first year, the company was referred to as "TOUCHSTONE FILMS")
• Sometimes, but not often, the circle will appear in gray instead of blue. This was spotted on "Dick Tracy."

Cheesy Factor/SFX: The "flash" and the "electricity", but otherwise pretty good 2d animation.

Music: A synthesized scale of bells culminating in a twang-like sound.

Availability: Common.

Scare Factor: Minimal, the twang and flash might get to people, as well as the relatively dark level of the logo.

Logo: At the bottom of the screen is a circle beside the words "TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO", all made out in 80s computer effects. The text "shimmers" twice, and at the end of the second "shimmer", the circle flashes and the lightning appears on top.

SFX/Cheesy Factor: The 80s computer effects, the "shimmer"

Music: Same as the movie logo

Availability: Rare, only seen on 1986-87 Touchstone videos.

Scare Factor: Minimal.

2nd Logo
(1988-)

Logo: Same as the movie logo, only "HOME VIDEO" replaces "PICTURES".

SFX: Same as the movie logo.

Music: Again, same as the movie logo.

Availability: Common, seen on most Touchstone releases

Scare Factor: The ominous nature of the logo might get to people, as well as the twang and electricity effects.

Logo: Same as the movie logo, only the parts with the elongated circle are deleted. The text "TOUCHSTONE TELEVISION" is aside the blue circle, and the text has the lightning going through it. When it reaches the circle, the circle flashes and the lightning appears.

Variants:

• The ending theme of whatever show would play over this logo sometimes, especially those produced by Witt-Thomas-Harris.
• On some shows, [especially Witt-Thomas shows] there would be a copyright notice saying the year, and Touchstone Pictures Corp.

SFX: The flash, lightning and somewhat simple animation.

Music: A short piano sounder with bells on the collision.

Availability: Common, can be seen on most non-family programs produced by the Walt Disney Company, specifically reruns of "Home Improvement".

Scare Factor: Minimal, the different music makes it feel less ominous than the movie logo.

HOLLYWOOD PICTURES
(1990-1999)

Nickname: "The Sphinx That Stinks" (courtesy Kevin Smith)

Logo: On a black background, a blue moon glows behind an object, as the glow line increases to reveal the object as the famous Egyptian sphinx. The light dies down to a circle behind the logo, as three lines fade in below the logo, and below them the text "HOLLYWOOD PICTURES".

Variation: There is an earlier version of the logo, where a box appears around the sphinx logo, with "HOLLYWOOD" above it and "PICTURES" below. Also adapted for Hollywood Pictures Home Video, with slightly smoother and cheesier animation and the presence of "HOME VIDEO".

SFX: The glowing of the light behind the sphinx, not much animation .

Cheesy Factor: OK, there is a major problem with this logo. That being that it has nothing to do with the name of the company! What does a sphinx, a symbol of Egypt, have to do with a company called "HOLLYWOOD PICTURES"?! It just defies logic here...

Music: An orchestral fanfare by Danny Elfman, composer of the Batman flicks.

Availability: Disney no longer produces films as "Hollywood Pictures", but this logo was used for several high-profile films during the 1990s.

Scare Factor: Very unpopular, as the concept is questionable, the animation line is minimal, and the fanfare is uninspired. However, it isn't scary.