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Disney's Mature and Forgotten Live Action Movies from the 1980's
There was a brief period in the early 1980's where Disney actually attempted releasing mature films that appealed more to adults than kids. The Watcher in the Woods, Night Crossing, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Never Cry Wolf were very mature and adult films that pushed their PG rating to the limits. I can't imagine a kid having the attention span to sit through a movie like Never Cry Wolf or Night Crossing neither of which feels like a traditional Disney film.
In terms of what I said about these films pushing their PG rating Never Cry Wolf actually has scenes of full frontal male nudity toward the end and Something Wicked This Comes features some disturbing scenes such as Jason Robards getting his hand split open and a very disturbing scene toward the end with Jonathan Pryce on a carousel I will not spoil.
None of these films were financially successful and once Michael Eisner took over as head of Disney they no longer released live action films that were anywhere near as mature and thoughtful as the four I listed. Disney founded Touchstone Pictures in the mid 80's and would use that label to release their more mature adult films which included R rated comedies like Ruthless People and Down and Out in Beverly Hills or really good dramas starring Robin Williams like Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society.
I just find it interesting that this period in Disney's history is often viewed as a failure and while that may be true of their animated films they made in the 70's and 80's before The Little Mermaid their early 1980's live action films deserve to be ranked along their animated ones in terms of greatness. I'm actually impressed that Disney ever green lit and released films under the Walt Disney label like Never Cry Wolf and Night Crossing. They are so much better than the lightweight live action films Disney released in the 60's and 70's that starred Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Don Knotts, Fred MacMurray, and Kurt Russell which were more popular and better remembered despite being inferior films.