LOS ANGELES: Actor Ray Liotta, who starred in Martin Scorsese’s gangster classic “Goodfellas,” has died in the Dominican Republic, the country’s cinema authority said Thursday. He was 67.
Liotta, whose blistering turn as real-life mobster Henry Hill in Scorsese’s crime masterpiece won universal admiration, was shooting a new film in the country when he died, a spokeswoman for the Dominican Republic’s General Direction of Cinema said.
“We understand that he was accompanied by his (fiancee) and that the (fiancee) asks that you please respect her grief,” the spokeswoman told AFP.
Liotta’s publicist in Los Angeles confirmed his death, saying the actor died in his sleep and that there were no suspicious circumstances.
He was working on a movie called “Dangerous Waters” at the time of his death.
Liotta’s breakout came in 1990 when he was cast alongside Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in what is widely considered one of the greatest films of the 20th century.
“Goodfellas” won one Oscar, and was nominated for five others, and scenes from the movie continue to resonate as cultural touchstones more than three decades later.
A year before “Goodfellas,” Liotta had played baseball star “Shoeless Joe” Jackson in beloved sports movie “Field of Dreams,” opposite Kevin Costner.
The film was nominated for three Oscars, including best picture.
Tributes began to be paid soon after news of Liotta’s death broke, with “Goodfellas” co-star Lorraine Bracco, who played his on-screen wife, Karen, saying she was “utterly shattered to hear this terrible news.”
“I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas,” she tweeted.
“Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same... Ray Liotta.”
Despite branching out to show his breadth as an actor, Liotta had recently returned to the world of mob films, with roles in Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move” and “The Sopranos” prequel “The Many Saints of Newark.”
Liotta was born in Newark, on the US East Coast, in December 1954.
Variety reported he was left at an orphanage at birth and adopted when he was six months old.
At the University of Miami he performed in musicals, and after graduating landed a role in a soap opera that would provide him with three years’ work to 1981.
His first movie came in 1983, but it wasn’t until 1986’s “Something Wild” opposite Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels that he came to wider attention.
The comedy-action-romance was screened at Cannes and scored Liotta a Golden Globe nomination for supporting actor.
‘Goodfellas’ actor Ray Liotta dead
https://arab.news/r3ugv
‘Goodfellas’ actor Ray Liotta dead
- Ray Liotta’s publicist in Los Angeles confirmed his death, saying the actor died in his sleep and that there were no suspicious circumstances
- Liotta, whose turn as mobster Henry Hill in Scorsese’s crime masterpiece, ‘Goodfellas,’ won universal admiration, was shooting a film in the Dominican Republic when he died
Nintendo expands in Saudi Arabia with online store, upcoming launch of Switch 2
RIYADH: Nintendo has announced the launch of its Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch Online services in Saudi Arabia, marking a major step in the company’s regional expansion as it prepares to roll out the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5.
Nintendo also launched its official online store in the Kingdom in April.
The Nintendo Saudi Online Store offers a full range of products including the new Nintendo Switch 2 console, accessories, games and amiibo figurines.
In a press release, Nintendo said the move was part of a broader push to strengthen its presence in new markets and improve local accessibility to its ecosystem.
While the company has not yet revealed the exact launch date for the eShop and online subscription services in Saudi Arabia, it confirmed that “details will be announced at a later time.”
Coinciding with the Saudi store launch, Nintendo also revealed full details of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is being positioned as the next evolution in hybrid gaming.
The new console will feature upgraded performance and a more immersive experience through a 7.9-inch (20-centimeter) full high-definition screen, redesigned magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers with mouse-like capabilities, 256 gigabytes of internal storage and spatial 3D audio.
“Nintendo Switch 2 is the next step in at-home gaming that can be taken on the go, based on eight years of play and discovery that began with Nintendo Switch,” said Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo’s president, in the press release.
“With its new features that expand the possibilities of gaming experiences, I truly believe that Nintendo Switch 2 is a leap forward in our journey of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that Nintendo touches.”
A key new feature is GameChat, a built-in system allowing voice and video communication for up to 12 players during gameplay. Players will be able to use a built-in microphone or an optional USB-C camera to chat, share screens or see each other in real time.
GameChat will be available to all Nintendo Switch 2 users until March 31 next year, after which it will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Nintendo Switch 2 will also include GameShare, enabling users to share compatible titles with friends and family even if they do not own the games themselves, as long as they are part of the same Nintendo Account family group.
At launch, the system will debut with several major titles.
These include Mario Kart World with its new Knockout Tour mode, the exclusive 3D platformer Donkey Kong Bananza, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, EA SPORTS Madden NFL, and Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.
With the online store now live and digital services on the way, Saudi Arabia is set to become a key market for Nintendo as it rolls out its next-generation console under the global theme: “All Together, Anytime, Anywhere.”
Review: Star-filled ‘Eddington’ — a satirical thriller in small town America
CANNES: The memory of the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers, the deaths and the economic destruction it caused still play on the mind. Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” which just played at the Cannes Film Festival in France, is a brutal look at what the virus did to humanity, the kind of misinformation we were fed and the losses, monetary and emotional, we all suffered.
“Eddington” is a fictional town in the US state of New Mexico and the movie opens as lockdown begins.
In the Cannes title, the mayor of Eddington, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), and Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) are at loggerheads. Their bone of contention is the medical mask — Cross refuses to wear one thus setting a bad example, encouraging people to defy the rule. Cross also resents Garcia's support for the construction of a giant online server farm and decides to run against Garcia as an anti-lockdown candidate in the upcoming mayoral election.
This forms the main plot, but interestingly it is the sub-plots that add pep and zing to the film. Cross's wife Louise (Emma Stone) suffers from hysteria and depression while Garcia's problematic teen son Eric (Matt Gomez Hidaka) is in love with Sarah (Amelia Hoeferie), who bills herself a warrior for social justice.
Aster manages to grip us with all these diversions and distractions in what could have otherwise been a rather dull narrative. The satire on the sidelines is hilarious, and despite a serious plot that treats the town as a microcosm of America’s problems — from police brutality to racism — the writer-director manages to keep the audience engaged until the finish line.
The film could have done with tighter editing, though, and it isn’t till the halfway mark that the plot begins to speed up with a segway into a farcical crime thriller.
Paul Mescal spotlights Palestinian doc ‘No Other Land’
DUBAI: While promoting his latest film, “The History of Sound,” at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Irish actor Paul Mescal took a moment to spotlight the Palestinian documentary “No Other Land.”
In a heartfelt statement, Mescal shared his experience watching the film in a packed Brooklyn theater, expressing profound upset over its limited distribution. He emphasized the importance of amplifying Palestinian voices and stories, highlighting the film's portrayal of the destruction of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.
“I remember sitting there in a packed-out theater in Brooklyn and just being so profoundly upset that the film hadn’t, at that point, I still don’t know if it has received distribution there. Having a cultural moment like that with a film like that, which is so wildly upsetting to see in a room. The story that I feel like needed to be told the most was being censored, it felt like almost. And the feeling in the room was one of great fear and sadness and it felt like the film was bigger than the four walls in which we were watching it,” he said.
“No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military, won the Oscar for best documentary earlier this year.
The film’s co-directors, Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham used their speeches to call for an end to the “ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
The film follows activist Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone.
Review: The Escape Hotel in Riyadh
- The Escape Hotel has a variety of themed rooms, each designed to challenge and excite
RIYADH: Are you in search of an exciting break from your routine with friends or family? Look no further than the Escape Hotel, with locations in Riyadh and Jeddah, which is an experience that will leave you buzzing long after the visit is over.
The experience is an escape game where teams work together to solve riddles and puzzles, using clues to escape a themed room. Each room has a specific storyline and challenges, and the goal is to complete the objectives and escape before the timer runs out.
The venue feels like something straight out of a horror movie, immersing you in a chilling atmosphere that will keep your heart racing.
Upon arrival, participants must sign waivers and leave their phones in a locker to enter one of the spine-tingling rooms.
The adrenaline rush is unparalleled, especially when faced with jump-scares like a zombie suddenly charging at you while you try to solve the room’s mysteries. It’s an intense blend of thrill and fun.
The Escape Hotel has a variety of themed rooms, each designed to challenge and excite. Options include the Zombie Suite, the Maintenance Room, the Elevator, the Jumanji Room, the Harry Potter Room, and the Pirate’s Dungeon. Each room presents puzzles and scenarios that require teamwork and quick thinking.
My friends and I tried the Jumanji Room, which was an absolute blast even as it leans more toward adventure than horror.
I also tackled the Zombie Room, which was a heart-pounding experience filled with challenging puzzles. We found ourselves screaming and laughing as we navigated the intricacies of the room. The design included hidden spaces that required us to bend, kneel, and crawl through tunnels, adding to the immersive experience.
The emphasis on teamwork is vital and you quickly realize how collaboration is key to winning.
They have locations in Jeddah and Riyadh. Overall, the Escape Hotel is a fantastic way to break the monotony of a typical night out.
Red Sea Souk opens industry program applications
- The festival continues to serve as a key platform for cross-cultural collaboration and creative opportunities in the global film community and Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning creative sector
RIYADH: The Red Sea Souk has opened submissions for its Project Market and Work-in-Progress screenings, both set to run during the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival, taking place in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district from Dec. 4-13 this year.
Held annually, the Red Sea International Film Festival amplifies the Kingdom’s creative and cultural diversity through programs designed to engage both public audiences and industry professionals.
The festival’s industry market, running from Dec. 6-10, brings together filmmakers, producers, investors, and cinema professionals from around the globe to support emerging talent and international co-productions.
FASTFACTS
• The Project Market is accepting submissions until June 20 for narrative, animated, and documentary projects currently in development or production.
• The Work-in-Progress program is open until July 29 to feature films in post-production.
The Project Market is accepting submissions until June 20 for narrative, animated, and documentary projects currently in development or production. Projects must be helmed by directors from Arab, African, or Asian countries, or by filmmakers of Arab origin.
Selected entries will receive tailored industry guidance and opportunities to pitch to distributors, festival programmers, and production partners.
The Work-in-Progress program is open until July 29 to feature films in post-production. It offers private industry screenings, mentorship, and networking with potential distributors, financiers, and festival representatives.
Both programs will strengthen film talent from Saudi Arabia and the broader Arab, African, and Asian regions, encouraging co-productions and international exposure.
The festival continues to serve as a key platform for cross-cultural collaboration and creative opportunities in the global film community and Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning creative sector.
