Rating: 
Summary: It's All About The MONEY$$$$
Review: Don't you think it's rather odd that the co-author of the book which this movie was based upon, William Hoffer, is the co-author of another book of it's kind, Not Without My Daughter? Apparently William Hoffer hit gold with Midnight Express in the 70's, so he stuck to his formula: Write a sensational, over-dramatic, one sided, racist book for people who don't and will never know anything else about the middle east. There sure is an audience for it in America!Not Without My Daughter was filmed in Israel, with actor mostly from Israel, Midnight Express was filmed mostly with Greek actors. Obviously certain governments funded these movies, they are obviously propoganda.
I don't know which one is more sad, the man who feeds on the racism and ignorance of the masses for money and fame, or the masses of racist and ignorant people that don't care to know any better.
Which country is next Mr Hoffer? When will we see our next sensational hit? We're waiting with our extra large movie-theatre-buttered popcorn in one hand, and the flag in the other.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Heavy
Review: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS is a very heavy movie about a young American who is caught at a Turkish airport trying to smuggle hashish out of the country. After his arrest this true story becomes a grim tale of life in a Turkish prison and the almost hopeless task of trying to gain freedom. Brad Davis has the starring role of Billy Hayes. Randy Quaid, John Hurt and Norbert Weisser play the parts of other prison inmates. Mike Keller does a good job in the role of Billy's anguished father. The acting is uniformly excellent. The film won Oscars in 1978 for Best Adapted Screenplay and Original Score. It also received nominations for Best Picture, Director (Alan Parker), Supporting Actor (John Hurt) and Editing. Alan Parker is known for his direction of several good movies including MISSISSIPPI BURNING.
Rating:
Summary: Midnight Express
Review: I think this movie was a masterpiece. It displays the Turks for what they are. Deceivers, liars and barberic butchers. They are the kings of taking bribes which is accurately portrayed in the movie. A perfect modern example of Turkish black mail is when the US wanted to use Turkish military bases for the Gulf War. The Turks practically wanted to rape the US financially. The Turks are barbarians who butchered the Armenian race back in 1915. If you know anything about history you will know the "real" story which in Greece and other European Countries they have a Armenian Genocide Day that remembers the victims of Turkish slaughter. The Armenian Genocide is not taught in Turkish schools because it is forbidden. The Armenian Geneocide is the forgotten Genocide especially here in the US. Enough said about the Turks. Back to the movie. This true to life movie was made possible by the brilliant film making of Alan Parker. He definiteley shows the audience how brutal and merciless the Turkish people are through the characters such as the Billy's Turkish lawyer, prison guard and cell-mate Rifky.All three characters potray what real Turks in power are really like.You have to understand there is some truth in film making whether it is Hollywood or not. Parker displays it effectively. Irene Miracle who plays Susan plays a gorgeous, loyal girlfriend is totally believable. The reason why Billy Hayes wanted to "apologize" for some inaccuracies in the movie is because he was pressured by a Turkish lobby in Washington to do so. He also probably got his life threatened by barbaric Turks through prank phone calls. It probably was the same Turkish lobby that denies and blocks the Armenian Genocide. Billy Hayes,Alan Parker and the cast and crew, in my opinion, should be an honorary Armenians. God Bless them and the courage they had to write this book and make it into a screenplay. The cast and crew should be congratulated that this movie still sparks interest after more than twenty years.The movie is brilliant and 100% TRUTHFUL!!![.]
Rating:
Summary: What a pile of xenophobic outlash
Review: this movie [stinks] on many fronts. first, smuggling four pounds of hash is NOT a minor drug offense. not even statewise! i love how the xenophobic american movie makers embroiled in their own racism make statements mitigating this dubious drug dealer's activities. four pounds of hash IS trafficking. getting four years for that is a light sentence. so first, let's get that straight, oliver stone. the movie further makes up stuff. it injects the tale with the typical hollywood emotional extortion material of over dramatizing the basically yawning plot. stone and parker didn't know -- as is typical -- in hollywood, when to stop and go as far as lying about the 30 yr sentence, the tortures, and the killing of the guard. none of that is true! and finally, this character brad davis. he's hopeless. he's very very difficult to watch. i would have gladly flipped the channel but this was slightly better than the informercials everywhere else on these hopelessly boring american TV feeds. i love the americans reviewing this movie. that's the most fun about it. notice, how -- especially this character matt -- americans, whose first language is english, i believe, can't put together a sentence without major grammatical errors and without spelling butchery beyond descriptions. they don't know how to write but they're experts on international drug laws and turkish prisons. pleeeeease, you clowns. anyway, the movie bites. save money and time. watch something else!
Rating: 
Summary: great filmaking, but one-sided and indirectly racist
Review: After watching this movie a few times, I finally read the book and came to realize the movie is indeed only a partial recollection. The only really bad things that happened to Billy Hayes when he was in prison in Turkey were the incident where he slugged a trustee for self-defense after stealing a blanket and a couple guards practicing their strokes on the soles of his feet. The real Billy also did not call the Turks pigs and instead apologized for his mistake. By the end of the book, he was scheduled to be released in 1978, but escaped from an island in the Aegan sea on a dinghy, not impalling the head guards' head on a hook. From what I heard from Turks who saw this movie, the Turkish characters spoke an incomprehensible gibberish, but also most of the actors playing Turks were Italian, and in one case, the head guard was an American who just happened to play Bluto in the Robin Williams version of Popeye. One thing about the movie I don't quite understand: Who in the world was the American (Bo Hopkins) that takes Billy Hayes into his custody to hunt down the drug dealer, and then has him arrested after he attempts to elude the police, then he and the detectives in the case are not even in court during Hayes' trial? Any answers would be helpful
Rating: 
Summary: Great acting
Review: As a Turkish citizen I cannot help but be at least a little subjective about this movie but I'll try. First of all I thought the acting was great and Parker was also ok. However I do not agree with other reviewers about some of the statements made here. Some claim that the movie took place in a rather isolated environment-a turkish prison, and its depiction of turkish characters shall not be taken as an offense against turkish people. But it is usuallly very hard to make that kind of abstraction and consider the movie within the proper context. Most people unconsciously associate a stigma with both Turkey and her people after watching this movie for the first time. That being said, I also have some personal doubts about the authenticity of the story itself. True, prison conditions in Turkey during the 70's were not perfect, they are still far from perfect. But As far as I am concerned the prison scenes in the film are quite exaggerated and over-dramatized, they are simply anachronistic. What's more, I fail to see how an American citizen during the cold war could be treated like that in one of its closest allies. Turkey's whole foreign policy was, and to a certain extent still is, built on good relations with the United States. Thus I do not think Turkey would really risk it by acting so irresponsibly. I do understand the artistic and the commercial concern behind all the drastic exaggeration. The movie would not have been quite powerful or controversial otherwise. Yet I still think it is quite unfair and offensive to Turkey to portray it as such. After all most ignorant people tend to judge only by their impressions from the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Movie
Review: This is one of the best films out there.
Really strong performances.
Midnight Express is perfectly directed and genuinly creates a strong feeling of fear in a rotten prison.
Turks logically do not like it because it harms their country's "democratic" look. But what type of democracy is the one, where the military can overthrow a government????
Of course I am not implying that Turks are mean and vicious as portrayed in the movie, but having visited Turkey and knowing how much corruption exists in their police I would not be surprised if most of the story is true.
Rating: 
Summary: what is the truth?
Review: Two weeks ago I was watching a program about turkey in c-span.They were showing how the life like in turkey and asking ordinary turks on street what they think about usa and coming war against irak. It was quite interesting.It looked to me a good blend of moderate midle eastern and western life style.But I noticed most of the calls were about Armenian genocide claims which was not the subject.Another caller said that he went to turkey recently and found people anti western and anti american.He also mentioned about the movie " Midnight Express"
I watched the mowie years ago it is a good prison mowie I blieved it was a true story.
I just finished reading the book.it looks like oliver stone made up and add some parts to take more attention.Besides that I started reading about turkey and here what I found
-there is a big anti-turkish propaganda in usa by Armenian and greek origin americans(which hurts american interests sometimes)
-Turkey only prodominantly moslim and domacratic country in the world
-Turkey recently abolished deth penalty (which is still in use in some states in usa) and had some good improvments in civil and minority rights.
-The Armenian genocide has not been proved by historians yet.
-public opinion in turkey obout America is second best in all muslim countries with % 58 percent
last word : dont belive every thing you see on tv look for other sources.
Rating:
Summary: Shame for Alan Parker !!!!
Review: Although I believe that Alan Parker is an excellent and skilful movie director, this film
is a mixture of unbelievable racist plot and full of blasphemy to the targeted Turkish people, therefore this movie is a shame in Parker's successful cinematography,and also for Oliver Stone(script).
There is no good Turkish people in the film(???)
and imaginary middle age (??) atmosphere of prison is set in a 1970's Turkey. And also the movie's protagonist blasphemes in 3/4 of the film to all the turkish people using exactly "I...all your mothers, all your daughters ,you are all bla bla bla.." I've saw an interview in a magazine of the real protagonist of the real case and he was rejecting this film and was saying that "it is not my story". We know that The Greek Government (longstanding historical rivals ) of Turkish people financed this film ,and the movie has been filmed in Greece.(And also all the Turkish characters in the movie were dubbed by greek people, they all talk turkish like in a comedy as a greek person who live in Turkey).. When you watch this movie you see why the Greeks financed this film,and used it to their benefit, without thinking whatever it was the results. Insulting and slandering a nation,and all its citizens. I live in Switzerland and have a lot of Turkish friends,and I know this unbelievable racist film and its evil goal touched all the turkish people very deeply.Although I am against all the brute force practice in every nation of the world, I dont think this movie has an objective about this case,but have an another.. The Turks ask sometimes to you as " with your behaviour -Do you want to get some grape or your reel objective is to beat the vineyard keeper?? When you watch this scandalous racist film, you will see very clearly, that Alan Parker,Oliver Stone and all other Greek financiers wanted not to form a real movie, or a work of art, but all they wanted was to BEAT the Turks...
Rating:
Summary: The Biggest Racist Movie Ever
Review: I just can't believe that there are people still think that Turks sell women at bazaars, travel with camels, torture the inmates at the jails.
Turkey is going to be accepted in the European Union in a few years!
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