Midnight Express
Short description
Midnight Express is a crime drama based on the real experiences of Billy Hayes, a young American arrested in Turkey in 1970 while trying to leave the country with hashish. What begins as a limited sentence becomes far more severe once the authorities decide to treat him as an example, and he is handed a long prison term instead. Confined in a brutal Turkish prison, Billy faces violence, harsh conditions and the slow erosion of hope, while his family, his lawyer and the American government pursue appeals on his behalf. Among the inmates, talk circulates of the "Midnight Express", an escape route that may be his only remaining chance.
The film was directed by Alan Parker and released in 1978, his second feature after Bugsy Malone. The screenplay was written by Oliver Stone with William Hoffer and Billy Hayes. Brad Davis plays Billy, alongside Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli, Paul L. Smith and Randy Quaid, in a credited cast of 22. Shot for about 2 million dollars, it returned roughly 35 million worldwide, a strong result for its budget.
On IMDb it holds 7.5 from 86,733 votes, on TMDB 7.4 from 1,948 votes. A critics' rating of 7.5 from 30 reviews places it level with the IMDb figure.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film was shot in 53 days.
- Although the film is set in Turkey, it was shot in Valletta, Malta.
- In one of the opening scenes at the airport, you can spot a long-haired man in dark clothing walking away from the camera. It is clear that this man is none other than director Alan Parker.
- Filming was moved to Malta after Turkish authorities denied permission.
- Oliver Stone's original script envisioned detailing Billy Hayes's escape through the mountains, but the project's modest budget did not allow for these scenes to be filmed.
- Despite the film being presented as based on a true story, Billy Hayes stated that the events in the picture appear exaggerated and partially fictional compared to his actual imprisonment in an Istanbul prison over 20 years ago.
- Turkish officials were deeply offended by the way their country was portrayed in the film, and they made this very public.
- The scene in which Brad Davis's character bites the tongue off one of the prisoners was so unpleasant for the entire film crew that they all left the set during its filming, leaving Alan Parker with only two actors. In fact, Davis had to hold a pig's tongue in his mouth.
- Brad Davis, the film's lead actor, wrote in his book that he experienced drug problems during the film's promotion.
- John Travolta and Richard Gere both auditioned for the role of Billy Hayes.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
