Midnight Express is 44 years old

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Midnight Express is 44 years old. This film was released on 6 October, 1978. It is based on a true story. However, 20 years after its release, it was revealed by Billy Hayes that this movie is a very exaggerated version of what happened to him in the prison in Istanbul.

Most of Midnight Express was filmed in Malta: Fort St.Elmo (Valletta), Malta International Airport (Luqa), Mediterranean Film Studios (Kalkara) and other Maltese locations. Some scenes were shot in Greece and Istanbul (Turkey).
The film was made for $2.3 million and grossed over $35 million worldwide.

Plot

(this is a very short version of the plot – better if you watch the film)
During a holiday in Istanbul, on 6 October 1970, an American college student is arrested by Turkish police whilst attempting to board a plane. His name is Billy Hayes and he had strapped 2kg of hashish blocks to his chest.

From there his life is a nightmare, he tried to escape a couple of times and got caught. The lead judge gives Billy only a four-year sentence for drug possession, however, this was changed and had to serve 30 years for his crime. At the end, he managed to escape from the front door after chief guard Hamidou is killed, and Billy puts on a guard’s uniform.

Awards and nominations

Midnight express was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, and won 2 of them (Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Original Score). It was also nominated for one Cannes Film Festival Awards, and he won an award for the only nomination in National Board of Review Awards.

Cast, production and more information

Directed by Alan Parker
Produced by Alan Marshall, David Puttnam
Screenplay by Oliver Stone
Based on Midnight Express
by Billy Hayes, William Hoffer
Starring
Brad Davis
Irene Miracle
Bo Hopkins
Randy Quaid
John Hurt
Paul L. Smith
Joe Zammit Cordina
Music by Giorgio Moroder
Cinematography Michael Seresin
Edited by Gerry Hambling
Production company Casablanca FilmWorks
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date August 10, 1978 (UK) October 6, 1978 (US)
Running time 121 minutes
Country United Kingdom, United States
Language English, Turkish, Maltese
Budget $2.3 million
Box office $35 million

Other films and TV series that were shot in Malta

Here is a list of some films and TV series that were shot in Malta. This is only a short list and there are more productions that were shot in Malta.

Jurassic World Dominion
Gladiator
By the Sea
Troy
Agora
The Count of Monte Cristo
Clash of the Titans
Popeye
Kon-Tiki
Eyewitness
Black Eagle
Trenchcoat
Captain Phillips
Raise the Titanic
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Pulp
Munich
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
World War Z
The Bedford Incident
The Spy Who Loved Me
Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre
The Emperor’s New Clothes
U-571
Simshar
Assassin’s Creed
Shout at the Devil
Game of Thrones
Napoleon
Last Voyage of the Demeter
Ikariya
Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher
The Way of the Wind
Sposa in rosso
The Dive
Sisi & I
Accident Man 2 (Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday)
Hounds of War
Warrior
Shark Bait
Mix Up in the Mediterranean
Firebird
Mikha’El
Just Noise
The Obscure Life of the Grand Duke of Corsica
The Seed
Rose Island
Tolo Tolo
Made in Malta
Bharat
The Boat
7 Days in Entebbe
Paul, Apostle of Christ
Thugs of Hindostan
Divine Beauty
American Assassin
Murder on the Orient Express
Love to Paradise
Papillon

Other Links – Places in Malta and Gozo

Links of Videos of Malta Part 1

Links of Videos of Malta Part 2

Għar Lapsi – relaxing and beautiful sunset in October
Slugs Bay, Malta (Daħlet ix-Xilep in Maltese)
December Saturday morning in Valletta during COVID19 pandemic
Iconic places in Malta and Gozo
🌺 🌼 San Anton gardens, Malta 🌼 🌺
Sunsets as seen from Siġġiewi, Malta
🌧️ ☔ Malta – Before the first rain in September 2020 🌧️ ☔
Another Blue Lagoon – secluded beach in Malta
Sunset at St. Paul’s Bay, Malta
Dingli Cliffs – Rdum ta’ l-Iħfar and Rdum tal-Qaws
Għar Lapsi – restaurants, park, boathouses, police station and reverse osmosis.
The sea at Ghar Lapsi, Malta on 30 May 2020
Exploring iż-Żurrieq by day – Iż-Żurrieq, Malta
Sea waves at Ghar Lapsi, Malta
Exploring Siġġiewi by day – Siġġiewi, Malta
Rabat, Malta – A quick visit to Rabat
Buskett Gardens, Malta (no music in the first part of the video).
Off the beaten path from Dingli Cliffs to Fawwara, Malta
Sea Cave at Xaqqa Valley, Malta
Good Friday Haz-Zebbug 2015 – Gimgha l-Kbira Haz-Zebbug 2015
If you could see this Virus, would you still go out?? – Malta
Blue Grotto and Wied iz-Zurrieq Malta
Good Friday Haz-Zebbug 2014 – Gimgha l-Kbira Haz-Zebbug 2014
2013 Good Friday Procession LUQA – Ġimgħa l-Kbira Ħal Luqa

Links of Videos of Gozo

Early morning in Marsalforn, Gozo – beautiful sunrise
Wied il-Għasri, Gozo
Walking the Għar Qawqla coast in Gozo
Cittadella, Gozo
Blue Hole, Dwejra, Gozo
Amazing sunrise in Marsalforn and Qbajjar, Gozo, Malta
Dwejra Inland Sea, Gozo, Malta
Xatt L-Aħmar, Gozo, Malta – Swimming with jellyfish (Mauve stinger and Fried Egg Jellyfish)
Xwejni bay and fortification, Gozo, Malta
Gozo Salt Pans
Ta’ Pinu National Shrine – Gozo, Malta
Xlendi Bay, Gozo, Malta
MV Nikolaos – Gozo Ferry
Snorkeling in Xwejni Bay and Qbajjar Bay, Gozo
Ċittadella by night, Gozo – The Citadel
Wied il-Għasri, Gozo
Mġarr harbour as seen from the ferry. Gozo.

Contact

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