Midnight Express (film)
| Midnight Express | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alan Parker |
| Screenplay by | Oliver Stone |
| Based on | The book by William Hayes with William Hoffer |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | Brad Davis Irene Miracle Bo Hopkins Paolo Bonacelli Paul Smith Randy Quaid Norbert Weisser John Hurt Mike Kellin Franco Diogene |
| Cinematography | Michael Seresin (lighting cameraman) |
| Edited by | Gerry Hambling |
| Music by | Giorgio Moroder |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 121 minutes |
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| Languages |
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| Budget | $2.3 million |
| Box office | $35 million |
Midnight Express is a 1978 prison drama film directed by Alan Parker and adapted by Oliver Stone from Billy Hayes's 1977 memoir. It stars Brad Davis, with Irene Miracle and Bo Hopkins in supporting roles. The film centers on Hayes, a young American student, who is sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of the country. The film's title is prison slang for his escape attempt.
Hayes and others criticized the film for portraying the Turkish characters as violent and villainous and for deviating too much from the source material for added shock value.
Midnight Express received generally positive reviews from critics. The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Parker at the 51st Academy Awards in 1979, and won Best Adapted Screenplay for Stone and Best Original Score for Giorgio Moroder. It also won six Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and BAFTA Awards for Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Hurt).