I've been out of the U.S. for 2+ years. I'll be returning later this year and want to catch up on good American movies, tv, music out after August 2004. Any suggestions about where to start?

Best TV - Lost, Seasons 1 and 2, 24: Seasons 1-5, Scrubs Best Guilty Pleasure: American idol (no need to catch up just start watching now) and Survivor, new season starting this month

Arrested Development

Entourage

The Office (US)

Not the most fun movie, but An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore's documentary about global warming) shows how much things have changed in in just 2 years...in 2004 no one cared about global warming, and now it's a huge topic of public conversation in the U.S.

If you want to catch up on pop culture so that you won't feel totally out of the loop during conversation, read a couple issues of People magazine and you'll at least know the names of hte current celebs and reality TV shows, etc.

I don't know what your tolerance for bad taste is, but BORAT is now part of the Zeitgeist. Sasha Baron-Cohen's tour de force of disgusting, offensive, vulgar and insulting behavior and themes will have you laughing yourself onto floor of living room or theatre.

Veronica Mars is one of the best shows on TV, despite its low ratings. Shown on The CW at 9 on a Tuesday.

Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 - a liberal and pretty accurate look at Bush 41 and 43 (and members of our congress) and the events in Iraq and neighboring countries after 9/11. Premiered in NYC in mid June, I think, 2004.

The Wire

Curb Your Enthusiasm

It blows my mind with its hilarity

a second for Arrested.

Great! Thanks for your help. Love this site!

America nowaday is all about gory and thrilling films. Examples include The Descent and Hostel. Those are two very gruesome and gory horro flicks. Those movies might appeal more to younger audiences though. A dramatic movie you might want to look into if you're interested in the 9/11 attack is The Twin Towers? I don't remember the name exactly, but it's with Nicholas Cage and it's pretty interesting. It deals not with the event itself, but with personal perspectives of the victims of 9/11.

Lots of folks are intense about the movies "Crash" and "Brokeback Mountain"

I also really loved the movie "Favela Rising" and "Rize"

The Colbert Report has reached stunning new heights in television with Stephen Colbert's interview with Bill O'Reilly. And Family Guys is always an RI fav . . .

Pan's Labrynth is a good one

"The Prestige" is a great movie with a really interesting plot about rival magicians.

Also, a third for Arrested Development.

Firefly. The series that "Serenity" was based off of. Intelligent, Funny, Awesome.

TV - Ditto on Lost...rent the dvds from the first season to catch up :^)

Movies....a good number of them since 2004....
Comedy...My Big Fat Greek Wedding is great.
The Klumps with Eddie Murphy (he even played a grandma) gives me the silly chuckles.

Scary...these days the movies are more intense compared to then in the 80s, I actually had to close my eyes during Final Destination, I think they have two or three series of that movie.

Action..Bourne Identity with Matt Damon...they have the third one in theatres now. Rent the first two (not sure when the first Bourne Identity)

Suspense...What Lies Beneath with Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeffier.

I was also away for the last couple years, and when I got back I watched Lost, Heroes, Alias, Brothers & Sisters, and Jericho. The FX show Damages is also really good.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

If you start now you could easily catch up for when the rest of season 4 airs in January.

The Dark Knight. (Heath Ledger died right before it was released)
Indiana Jones 4. (mixed reviews. I didn’t mind it)

And for TV shows… The Office and the Daily Show.

Kill Bill 3, 4.

When you return, you will be amazed at how the American culture keeps evolving and changing, leaving you in the dust. I was out of the country for a few years, and when I got back there were new expressions being used, new styles, new ideas, new food items, everything. The movies, TV and music are just the tip of the iceberg. But don’t worry, you will get back in the swing of things.