Erica Palan

Erica Palan

@errrica
Writes about: Late Movies
Erica Palan is a writer, editor, and social media manager living in Philadelphia. By day, she keeps watch over Philadelphia Magazine's online presence—she does a lot of tweeting these days. By night, you can find her teaching digital journalism at Temple University. Erica is a fast reader, a slow runner, and a Bruce Springsteen enthusiast.

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The Late Movies: Walter Cronkite's Biggest News Stories

On this day in 1981, acclaimed broadcaster Walter Cronkite retired from anchoring the CBS Evening News. Throughout the course of his 19-year stint as "the most trusted man in America," Cronkite brought breaking news into the homes of people across the country. Here are some of his biggest stories. JFK Assassination, 1963 Report From Vietnam,... READ ON

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The Late Movies: 6 of Emily Gilmore's Best Freak-Outs

Though she’s well-known for her other roles—originating Sheila in A Chorus Line, Baby’s mom in Dirty Dancing—Kelly Bishop, who turns 68 today, is perhaps most recognized for her recent turn as Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. Known for being persistently proper and a little bit stubborn, Emily Gilmore could throw down when she wanted to get her way and melt down when she didn’t. Here are six of her best moments. Retail Therapy When furious at her husband, Richard, Emily shops—’til Rory and... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Watch Six People Get Their Hearts Ripped Out

Happy Valentine’s Day, _flossers. Instead of the usual roundup of love songs (or worse: breakup songs), I thought we’d get a little gory this year. Thus, I present you with six awesome scenes of people getting their hearts ripped out. The Simpsons In this 1992 episode titled “New Kid on the Block,” Bart falls for Laura Powers. She doesn’t really feel the same way. The Sword and the Sorcerer Though this film has gone on to become a cult classic, Variety gave it a negative... READ ON

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The Late Movies: California Raisins

Sure, we were all psyched about the commercials before last weekend's Super Bowl, but will any of them spawn Emmy Award-winning TV specials? The California Raisins, which began as a 1986 commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board, did just that in the late 1980s. Here's a look back at their most memorable moments. "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" Done in the styling of Mr. Michael Jackson. This version of the song even made it onto Billboard's Hot 100 list, peaking at #84 in 1988.... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Classic Super Bowl Commercials

If you, like me, learned everything you know about football from Friday Night Lights (the TV series, not the movie. Duh.), you probably watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. Whether it was famous frogs, talking babies, thirsty supermodels or something a little more outrageous, advertising during the big game has become almost as relevant as the football. Here's six of our favorite classic Super Bowl ads. Did we forget yours? Tell us in the comments. 1973 In 1973, Master Lock ran a famous ad where... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Apple's Commercials

Twenty-eight years ago, the recently departed Steve Jobs unveiled the first Macintosh computer. It was the first personal computer to utilize a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a command-line interface, making it accessible to the masses. It was the most successful personal computer in history and, as we all know, Apple became a technological super-power. Today, we take a look back at some of Apple's unique and notable commercials. 1984 This is the very first Apple commercial. Is it... READ ON

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The Late Movies: 6 Awesome K'Nex Creations

Did you know that the original idea for K'Nex came from a guy playing with drinking straws at a wedding? Later, the company was turned down by major toy corporations and LEGO before being picked up by TOMY and becoming one of the most fun ways to pass the time—for kids and adults. Here, check out some of the coolest machines—and other wacky inventions—created using only K'Nex. 1. Metropolis Using almost 30,000 pieces, this tower, reaching 2.4 meters into the air, took almost a full year to... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Happy Anniversary, Alaska!

Today in 1959, the United States officially welcomed Alaska as the 49th state. Some Alaska fun facts: Alaska was purchased for $7.2 million in 1867. The state has a longer coastline than all the other U.S. states combined. The first big-box store, a Wal-Mart, opened in Alaska in 1993, which helped reduce the otherwise exorbitant cost of living. Happy anniversary, Alaska! Here are six songs about the biggest U.S. state. "Anchorage" by Michelle Shocked In this single from 1988's Short Sharp Shocked, the... READ ON

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Watch 'A Muppet Family Christmas' in its Entirety!

I have been mental_flossing since 2008 and I can tell you with full-blown geekitude that this is the most excited I have ever been to post. Consider this my holiday gift to you,... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Saved by the Bell's Musical Numbers

I love Saved by the Bell more than is probably reasonable for a grown woman. (Need evidence? Click here and here.) One of my favorite things about the show was always its impromptu and unexplained musical numbers. Here are six moments when the gang from Bayside song burst into song. Hot Fudge Sundaes In perhaps the most memorable (and mocked) episode of SBTB, Jessie, Kelly and Lisa form an all-girl group called Hot Sundaes. Then Jessie gets hooked on caffeine pills to balance her busy schedule and,... READ ON

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