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Midnight Express (1978)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
6 October 1978 (USA)
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Tagline:
A story of triumph. more
Plot:
Story of a man who is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 13 wins
&
12 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(24 articles)
John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The Rt Interview
(From Rotten Tomatoes. 4 November 2009, 12:35 AM, PST)
Former MGM Chief Daniel Melnick Dead At 77; Many Classic Films To His Credit
(From CinemaRetro. 16 October 2009, 9:58 AM, PDT)
(From Rotten Tomatoes. 4 November 2009, 12:35 AM, PST)
Former MGM Chief Daniel Melnick Dead At 77; Many Classic Films To His Credit
(From CinemaRetro. 16 October 2009, 9:58 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
What a tense movie!
more (197 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Brad Davis | ... | Billy Hayes | |
| Irene Miracle | ... | Susan | |
| Bo Hopkins | ... | Tex | |
| Paolo Bonacelli | ... | Rifki | |
| Paul L. Smith | ... | Hamidou (as Paul Smith) | |
| Randy Quaid | ... | Jimmy Booth | |
| Norbert Weisser | ... | Erich | |
| John Hurt | ... | Max | |
| Mike Kellin | ... | Mr. Hayes | |
| Franco Diogene | ... | Yesil | |
| Michael Ensign | ... | Stanley Daniels | |
| Gigi Ballista | ... | Chief Judge | |
| Kevork Malikyan | ... | Prosecutor | |
| Peter Jeffrey | ... | Ahmet | |
| Joe Zammit Cordina |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
121 min
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Singapore:M18 (cut) |
Iceland:16 |
Spain:18 |
Netherlands:16 |
Brazil:18 |
Germany:16 (re-rating) |
West Germany:18 (original rating) |
Portugal:M/16 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Finland:K-16 (cut) (1996) |
Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1999) |
Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) |
Argentina:18 |
Australia:R |
Canada:18A |
Chile:18 |
Finland:K-18 (cut) (1978) |
France:-16 |
Norway:18 |
South Korea:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 (video rating) (1986) |
UK:X (original rating) |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Goofs:
Factual errors: Muslim prayer is depicted incorrectly. Muslim prayer has definite steps and rules, and there's always a leader to the prayer when more than two are praying.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
[Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
more
[Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Paul Smith: The Reddest Herring (2008) (V)
more
Soundtrack:
Istanbul Blues
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (197 total)
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It's interesting to note the comments on this movie.
I saw it on TV last night, not for the first time, and I noticed how the Turks in the film are all one-dimensional bad people, and physically ugly to boot. I also read that many of the scenes are completely fictional. I am not one of those people who think that a "true" story must be completely true; I think that the purpose of movies is to entertain, and this one certainly does that, if in a harrowing way. But, given the politics of our time, if the author of the screenplay wanted to create a demon people for dramatic effect, perhaps it would have been better to have set the story in a fictional or unidentified country.
The other observation I would make is, we are not much better than they are. We regularly sentence people to ungodly amounts of prison time for drug offenses, both on a state and federal level. Our prisons are no picnic, either, with many of the same sorts of things that were portrayed in the movie happening right here at home.
So, go check "the man in the mirror" before you condemn anyone else.