The most notable title this week and one absolutely worth recommending near the top of our weekly picks is Sony’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” 
the first widely distributed Blu-ray 3D title, but we wrote at length about the 3D elements, and since we already reviewed the movie and bonus features when the 2D version of “Cloudy” was released in January, we won’t repeat any of that here.
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1.) Green Zone (Universal, $30.95 2-disc set with digital copy), is probably one of the most entertaining films about contemporary warfare, with Matt Damon starring (under Bourne movies director Paul Greengrass) as a rogue U.S. Army officer who is sympathetic but wary of his indigenous Middle Eastern associates while trying to uncover a duplicitous plot potentially involving his commanders.
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— Damon on top of his game again, fully convincing in his intensity
— U-control (top Blu-ray feature along with Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode) offers fun sporadic bonus materials in pop-up video commentary (Damon oddly wearing a rapper stocking cap) and picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes footage.
— Fascinating training featurette with soldiers enamored with Damon only slight less than he is in awe of them and his experience working with and ordering real soldiers around.
2.) “A Star is Born” (Warner, $34.99 2-disc set) is another lovingly and elegantly packaged classic from Warner. I never understood the appeal of this 1954 Judy Garland/James Mason version of the timeless story of fragile egos. low self-esteem, and entertainment industry jealousy (here revolving around a movie star couple like the 1937 original — one fading and one on the rise, instead of singers like the 1976 Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson iteration), which seems even more dated now, and with less than memorable musical numbers that feel forced and out of place in this story. Nonetheless, there is much to recommend, especially for fans:
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— The nearly three-hour movie never looked better than this HiDef presentation of the 1983 reconstruction.
— Amazing vintage extras on second standard-def disc (DVD), including first-of-its-kind hourlong black-and-white TV special live from the Hollywood premiere red carpet loaded with every major star of the day– little has changed compared to red carpet broadcasts now.
— Plethora of alternate takes, outtakes, and deleted scenes, and recording studio audio recordings, etc.
— 40-page booklet offers great story of movie, Garland, and Mason, with many photos, though mostly in black-and-white.
3.) The Last Station (Sony, $38.96) is a terrific actor’s movie and showcase for Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren and a compelling story about the last year of the life of Russian writer and people’s hero Leo Tolstoy as he and his followers struggle to keep alive his dreams of an idealistic socialist society while his wife battles to maintain his assets before he gives them all away to the people.
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— Audio commentary by Mirren and Plummer is nearly equally as compelling as the movie itself as they banter and reveal their good-natured competitiveness and ego-centric personalities, as well as their expansive experience as they describe nuances of mannerisms in many shots and the annoying things that went on during the production.
— Deleted scene lamented by Mirren and Plummer as having beeen wrongly excised establishing early on the love of the common people for Tolstoy when they force his train to stop just to see him say hello.
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4.) Scenic Parks: The Best of the National Parks (Questar, $34.99 for combo Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy) capitalizes well on the Ken Burns PBS documentary “National Parks” with equally visually spellbinding footage in this 100-minute program highlighting the most spectacular national parks that also includes a program specifically focused on Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, with time for more historical elements.
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— Perhaps even more dynamic images than the Burns’ PBS series since these are all current HiDef color shots from the most impactful angles instead of historical footage shots.
— Filled with interesting facts, trivia, and helpful travel info.
— By Scott Hettrick