Midnight Express

UPC: 043396229488

Studio: Sony Pictures

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity, Not For Children]

Summary: Midnight Express is a harrowing tale of a na?ve American caught in a nightmare of his own making thousands of miles from his home. Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is an American tourist visiting Turkey with his girlfriend Susan (Irene Miracle) when he's caught by customs officials trying to smuggle a large amount of hashish out of the country. The crime would normally carry a sentence of four years, but officials decide to make an example of Billy, and he draws a 30-year sentence despite the promises of his Turkish legal counsel. While Susan and Billy's father (Mike Kellin) pledge to do everything they can to speed Billy's release, in fact there's little than can be done. Billy quickly finds himself in a hellish prison that's a nightmare of filth, violence, rape, inedible food, and unspeakable health conditions. However, Billy gains a few confidantes behind bars: Jimmy (Randy Quaid), an American in a constant state of emotional overdrive; Max (John Hurt), an intelligent, drug-addicted Englishman; and Erich (Norbert Weisser), a gay Scandinavian who is attracted to Billy but accepts his gentle refusals of sex. Before long, Billy is convinced that he can take no more, and he makes plans to take the "midnight express" -- jailhouse slang for escape. While his friends are willing to help, they also make clear that almost no one who has tried to escape has lived to tell the tale. Based on a true story, Midnight Express was a box-office hit which won wide acclaim for the performances of Brad Davis and John Hurt; and the screenplay, by Oliver Stone, won an Academy Award. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Director – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Picture – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Editing – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Music Score – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – null New Star of the Year - Male – null New Star of the Year - Female – null Best Director – null Best Screenplay – null Best Original Score – null Best Adapted Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actor – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Supporting Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences New Star of the Year - Female – Hollywood Foreign Press Association New Star of the Year - Male – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Commentary with Director Alan Parker
The Making of Midnight Express
"The Producers, " "The Production" and "The Finished Film" Featurettes
Photo Gallery

Midnight Express

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 07/21/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DHMA null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 121 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Portuguese,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Portuguese,Spanish

Laura Abraham

Throughout this nightmarish tale of injustice, director Alan Parker never allows the audience's sense of fear and dread to wane. It is impossible to shake the feeling of insanity brought upon by the corrupt Turkish prison system, so vividly portrayed here. The murky, hazy camerawork further enhances the alienation. Though often unbearably frustrating and graphically violent, Midnight Express is an exceptional accomplishment from Parker and screenwriter Oliver Stone; one need only look at pale imitations such as Brokedown Palace and Return to Paradise to gauge its quality. ~ Laura Abraham, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Franco Diogene  Actor 
Norbert Weisser  Actor 
Michael Yannatos  Actor 
Dimos Starenios  Actor 
Paolo Bonacelli  Actor 
Peter Jeffrey  Actor 
Gigi Ballista  Actor 
Kevork Malikyan  Actor 
Michael Ensign  Actor 
Alan Marshall  Producer 
Peter Guber  Executive Producer 
Peter Guber  Producer 
Giorgio Moroder  Composer (Music Score) 
Alan Parker  Director 
David Puttnam  Producer 
Oliver Stone  Screenwriter 
Brad Davis  Actor 
Randy Quaid  Actor 
John Hurt  Actor 
Irene Miracle  Actor 
Bo Hopkins  Actor 
Paul L. Smith  Actor 
Mike Kellin  Actor 

Country: UK,USA