Other articles where midnight express is discussed. Midnight express is a 1978 prison neo noir drama film directed by alan parker, produced by david puttnam and written by oliver stone, based on billy hayes 1977 nonfiction book midnight express. And drug smuggler turned author billy hayes has told the sunday mail how delighted he is to be telling the true story on screen for the first time 40 years after he made a dramatic escape from a turkish prison by. Smith, randy quaid, norbert weisser, peter jeffrey and john hurt. Written by oliver stone and directed by alan parker, the movie starred brad. Midnight express is a 1978 drama that tells the true story of billy hayes, a young american who is sentenced to a turkish prison for drug smuggling and the harrowing conditions he must endure while incarcerated there. Midnight express 1978 music from the original motion picture soundtrack full ost. Convicted drug smuggler tells the true story behind. Midnight express 1978 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. A cock and bull story which won numerous awards, including the 2002 l.
The unbelievable true story of the worlds most infamous. William hayes born april 3, 1947 is an american writer, actor, and film director. The film midnight express told the story of billy hayes imprisonment for drug smuggling now he tells the full escape story. Directed by alan parker and written for the screen by oliver stone, the latter has since then been involved in many films based on a.
I mean when you look at midnight express the film, you dont see any good turks at all, hayes said in a recent interview at the oklahoman. Although the movie is based on a true story, it has been indicated by billy hayes twenty years after its release, that what is presented in the movie is a very exaggerated version of what happened to him in the prison in istanbul, turkey. Midnight express is a 1978 prison neo noir drama film directed by alan parker, produced by. Billy hayes spent 5 years in one for smuggling hash. Documentary reveals the true story behind the iconic film midnight express and how its real life protagonist, billy hayes became the enemy of turkey. After the movie s release, the facts of the story conflated with the sensationalized version.
The film deviates from the books accounts of the story, especially in its portrayal of the turkish characters, and some have criticized this version. Brad davis gives an amazing performance as billy hayes in the movie midnight express directed by alan parker. The cult film that had disastrous consequences for the turkish tourism industry it was one of alan parkers greatest movies a gutwrenching prison epic with an oliver stone. Infamous drug smuggler and prison escapee whose experience in a turkish prison was the basis of the hit cult film, midnight express, billy hayes recounts his story and his shocking return to. The true story behind the iconic film midnight express. Brokedown palace 1999 next up in our girl power series, jonathan kaplans brokedown palace. Hayes was a young american student sent to a turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of turkey. Midnight express tells the gutwrenching true story of a young mans incarceration and escape from a turkish prison. Midnight express 1978, produced by david puttnam, won two oscars. Winner of two oscars, for screenwriter oliver stone and composer giorgio moroder, midnight express was the rippedfromtheheadlines story of. The film midnight express did lasting damage to turkeys reputation. He opens up about the bogus midnight express, oliver stone on blow.
In 1970 billy hayes was an english major who left college in search of adventures to write. Based on a true story, midnight express was a boxoffice hit which won wide acclaim for the performances of brad davis and john hurt. Columbia pictures presents a casablanca filmworks production an alan parker film midnight express after this, the opening prologue text reads the following is based on a true story. Two years later came midnight express, based on his book, starring brad davis as a narcissistic, selfcentered hayes, and translating the story into a passion play of violence, sexuality, morality and indignation. Yes, it is loosely based on the true story of billy hayes collected from his book of the same title. Despite his hopes of an early release, billy is convicted and spends years in. The real billy hayes regrets midnight express cast all. The story of billy hayes and turkey, which is both a behindthescenes account of.
Based on a true story, the 1978 film midnight express stars brad davis as billy hayes, a young american who is apprehended while attempting to smuggle two kilos of hashish out of turkey in the early 1970s. In parkers film, hayes, played by the stunning brad davis, spews. Its one of the most famous and shocking films ever made. The real billy hayes regrets midnight express cast all turks in a bad light. But according to the man who lived through the real story of midnight express, the. Midnight express 1978 music from the original motion.
Alan parkers midnight express works like a hammer lock on the viewers mind. Convicted drug smuggler tells the true story behind midnight express the 1978 film made billy hayes, jailed in turkey for attempting to smuggle hash, famous but it also made him just a little furious too. Oliver stone it seems, has made a habit of making money and getting oscars from controversial andor little known events in history and dramatizing on it to a point of making the story haunting. It stars brad davis, irene miracle, bo hopkins, paolo bonacelli, paul l. The cult film that had disastrous consequences for. The real billy, in prison for the five years, was a very wily character, always. Best movies, books, tv, podcasts and audiobooks for travel. While this may be based on a true story, like any good filmmaker, the director alan parker has shown the shades of gray here.
Movies based on a true story netflix official site. Movies based on a true story netflix official site netflix uses cookies for personalisation, to customise its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Billy hayes writes about revisiting the place he was imprisoned. Hayes will finally get a chance to set the record straight when he tells his own story beginning at 8 tonight on the season premiere of the national geographic channels locked up abroad. Midnight express hash smuggler billy hayes on his remorseful. Stone sorry for midnight express film the guardian. The true story of billy hayes, an american college student who is caught smuggling drugs out of turkey and thrown into prison. Survivor tells the real story behind shocking cinema. Billy hayes, author of midnight express, which was made into a feature film, talks about his experiences in a turkish prison in the 1970s, and his upcoming book, midnight return. The unbelievable true story of the worlds most infamous hash.
This movie follows billy hayes, an american college student caught smuggling drugs out of turkey. A classic story of survival and human endurance, told with humor, honesty, and heart, it became a worldwide bestseller and the academy awardwinning blockbuster film of the same name. The man behind the story of midnight express returns to the country he escaped. The unbelievable true story of the worlds most infamous hash smuggler there are various iterations of my life out there, says billy hayes, digging into his eggs benedict at a. The 1978 movie midnight express, based on a book by billy hayes, and adapted into a screenplay by oliver stone, shows hayes arrest for trafficking in hashish, his beatings and the squalid prison conditions. He is best known for his autobiographical book midnight express about his. Midnight express is based on a true story and the book by the same name which is written by billy hayes, the same man that is portrayed and is the main character in the movie.
Directed by alan parker mississippi burning and written by oliver stone platoon the 1978 film midnight express related the purportedly true story of billy hayes played by brad davis, an american who was sent to a brutal prison in turkey for attempting to smuggle hashish out of the country. The third segment focuses more on the creative process that went on during the shooting. Pin by davideo noodle on brad davis brad davis, midnight. Survivor tells the real story behind shocking cinema classic midnight. Hes sent to a brutal turkish prison, from which he later escapes.
In parallel the real protagonist billy hayes discusses his personal journey and how his. Though there have been countless comparisons between kaplan s 1999 film and the much more successful both critically and commercially midnight express, brokedown palace, at least in my opinion, stands on its own. Midnight express true story explored in new documentary. Midnight express was one of my favorite movies as a young man under 12, seeing the movie over and over on hbo. The film was directed by alan parker mississippi burning and was based on a novel that was adapted for the screen by oliver stone. Based on a true story synopsis plot based on william hayess autobiography, midnight express tells the harrowing story of a young american tourist arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison by turkish authorities for trying to smuggle two kilos of. But according to the man who lived through the real story of midnight express, the true story behind it is even more sensational.
He opens up about the bogus midnight express, oliver stone on blow, and his oneman show. Cast, direction and production are all very good, but its difficult to sort out the proper empathies from the muddled and moralizing screenplay which. Brad davis and aids 10 beloved actors who tragically ended their lives listverse. Alan parker is the main thread in this segment, talking about brad davis and his dedication as an actor, directing actors, shooting the film hand held, the editing, the music, true story vs fiction, turkeys representation in the film and how life changing for all the. The film deviates from the books accounts of the story, esp. Hayes tale became famous through the 1978 film midnight express. But i have since come to be disappointed in oliver stones hyperdramatizations, made on the basis of creative license, what with the jfk movie compared to abc newspeter jennings beyond conspiracy and really having a hard time enjoying. Midnight express 1978 music from the original motion picture soundtrack.
The durrells feel the heat of corfu in this series around the true story. Nearly four decades later, the man behind the movie has resurfaced in midnight return. In actuality, according to the book, hayes took on a male lover in the prison. Billy hayes born april 3, 1947 is an american writer, actor, and film director. Midnight express internet movie firearms database guns.
Gangsters, fighters, athletes, serial killers, celebrities and so much morethese films are the best of the basedona true story stories. As with all oliver stone movies such as salvador, born on the fourth of july and platoon, midnight express is brutal and merciless. Midnight express is a sordid and ostensibly true story about a young american busted in 1970 for smuggling hash in turkey and his subsequent harsh imprisonment and later escape. After his escape four years later, he told his story in the bestselling book midnight. The hollywood writer and director oliver stone has apologised for offending turkey with his oscarwinning film midnight express, which featured powerful images of.
Like all extraordinary movies based on real people or actual events, midnight express has boldly transcended the limits of its true life story to bring forth a largerthanlife refinement. Explore paris with owen wilson and rachel mcadams in midnight in paris. Billy, now 63, was caught smuggling hash out of istanbul to the us in 1970 and thrown in a hellish jail. The story of billy hayes and turkey by sally sussman 2016, 1h39, usa the story of the film midnight express by alan parker 1978 as told by those who made it. Although the movie is based on a true story, it has been indicated by billy hayes twenty years after its release, that what is presented in the movie is a very.
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