Billy Hayes Revisits Midnight Express

[@cherylb5680]

Famous last words......."seemed like a good idea"

[@dragonfitter]

I bet most men in prison would say “ it seemed a good idea at the time “

[@runcaz7802]

My many travels were done after seeing "Midnight Express". If there was any chance of me doing something stupid, the memory of this movie cured me of that.

[@jeandubois8810]

Yeah me too. billy did a public service really and the Turkish government was right lol

[@metehansaygl1859]

What a slanderous nation you Americans are , none of the slander in this movie is true , it is a lie

[@traceymctreacle2800]

Awesome story. I went to Istanbul in 1988 with my bf (he was called Billy too funny enough😆) I was shitting myself incase he wanted to score some hash, but he had his own with him. We visited all the places from the movie, the pudding shop etc It was still exactly the same as in the movie. All the sights and sounds were the same. The thing that surprised us the most was we were expecting the Turkish people to be horrible as portrayed in the movie. But they were the complete opposite. The most friendliest, kindest people and we had the most amazing time. I swear they were playing the theme tune in the airport. We travelled to Marmaris on an old coach through the Ararat mountains and that was one of the most scariest experiences of my life. The roads on the mountains, our bus almost going off the edge many times, I dunno how we got off it alive. What an amazing adventure though. So many stories to tell. I kept it brief. Hi to Billy Hayes if you read this, sending love from London, UK. ❤️

[@ppo2424]

I was there in 86, actually working on cruise ships so we would dock in Istanbul and Kushadasi every week and overnight.. Funnily enough we were held up at Kushadasi once and it turns out one of the passengers had tried to smuggle heroin out of the country. So she was taken away never to be seen again. Yep great country i enjoyed it and the people were fine,Istanbul is a mad city.

[@killingmyselftolive2526]

Ooh Billy....

[@cagdas_demir_albayrak]

They did not shot this movie at Istanbul at all. It was in Malta and there were no Turkish actors in the cast...

[@wowsuchhandle]

@@Napolitano-Lazo abicim erlikten duyduklarınızı anlatmadan önce bi ingilizce öğrenin.

[@kitchenraw]

Disgusting movie to spread Turkofobia in the west. Racist, idiotic, ignorant narrative about Turkish people.

[@gutielcanario2899]

When i saw this film ,i said myself i will never go to turkey ,some months later i was on holiday in turkey,and turkish people are the more wonderful people i meet in the world ,iI LOVE TURKEY I LOVE TURKISH people they are WONDERFUL

[@orkundislike3264]

come now we are modernised in 80's they were just trash it was just a town. now we have good buildings just walk in crowded area and u will be fine.

[@Error_-xn7po]

As a Turkish guy, I hate you foreigners. Ruining our image with movies like this…

[@bi6471]

beyinsiz @@orkundislike3264

[@MohsinKhan-un6zs]

@@orkundislike3264i dont think they were wrong, there are thousands of muslim prisoners in american jails ,and they still getting tortured by americans.

[@CarlAquaForce]

I am a recovering heroin addict. I've been clean since 2018 , I used to watch this movie all the time when I would kick. (Be sick from heroin withdrawal), it qould bring me comfort somehow. Even now, on a lonely night I will put it on and I always enjoy it.

[@dg9015]

Hope your better now

[@alfredodistefanolaulhe2212]

Heroin is the worst drug, it inmediately kills you. Hope you doing it well now.

[@christopherpage5460]

I remember when I was 23 and travelling the world...sitting in the little hotel room in Nepal of some Aussie friends I had met and like everyone did in 1982, discussing the movie. They then pointed over to a large Ganesh statue on the floor and telling me it was full of opium. They were leaving the next day from Kathmandu to fly home to Australia. Ive sometimes wondered about that couple over the last 40 years.....

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

What a couple of dimwits.

[@alwayswondering4051]

I can think of only a few people I'd ever really like to meet, Billie Hayes is one.

[@svenfigueroa312]

I went to turkey. And? Do not be a criminal, do not get involved in drugs. And you will be ok. Period.

[@marksinclair2592]

Turkey is a fucking accident for Foreigners guess you don’t read the news on how they LOVE to hold up Journalist in that country... if you’re in US a media or any type of news agency going there for educational purposes they see it as a national threat.. even though you have to be contacted by the stage department in order to do it.. then they act like nothing war arranged... that side of the world is backwards as fuck.. set aside drug smuggling and other types of crimes. The Turkish government and most of the Middle East are backwards

[@Tayfun1974]

@@marksinclair2592 fuck you

[@ayranxbdjej8238]

@@Tayfun1974 Hes right u moron

[@marcusaurelius2988]

@@marksinclair2592 you are a moron

[@chainamarie03]

No u won't be okay. It's a nasty place for anything to have be there. They're still in the dark ages. That's a fact. I thought India was bad but the very short time I experienced Turkey I realized how much I love American....even with all its problems it's NOTHING like being there. They spout about religion and their the ones that don't follow it one damn bit. Btw I'm Muslim.

[@norbertdubois1179]

Billy, I remember the day I was working in the gym downstairs when you and Irene told me you were going to California to make a movie. Norbert in New York City @1977

[@theobserver3346]

This Texas Kid lived in Turkey, for years, in the 70's. Fantastic Experience! My childhood couldn't have been any better.

[@crenshawblaster3982]

The daily life in Turkey was way better in 70's, even the local music was awesome, everything seemed so unique. although poor infrastructure was the main problem... but never mind, those were the golden years for the youth...

[@godoff.5304]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXjIXqOtjbx9nsk&ab_channel=MichaelRogge kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKexfKiAe9SDZqc&ab_channel=MyAnalogJournal

[@pgentj]

Of course it was a great experience for you. Cuz you weren't involved in smuggling drugs!!

[@kazadz5416]

@@crenshawblaster3982 was the same everywhere not just turkey... people avoiding tax buying houses with drug money in 70's alot of my dad's friends still have those houses from drug money 40 years later.....

[@chloekit4861]

He’s from Long Island, ny

@Bepe Gambianni He got punished with a 5 year sentence which he served without complaint or incident. To just add 30 + years to it is barbaric and unjust.

[@jondstewart]

Doss Koont that was just in the movie. His official sentence was never pronounced the time he spent there. And he spent his final days in paradise on a prison island instead of the insane asylum.

[@chainamarie03]

@@jondstewart Really? Where'd you find this out?

[@jondstewart]

Chai'naMarie03 I read the Midnight Express book from 1976. Actually to be honest, I’m not 100% sure. From what I remember, he was in prison some 4 years before the official sentence was ever given.

[@chainamarie03]

@@jondstewart Thanks. I also read the book waaay back then. Just don't remember it. The movie just came on last night. Gotta reread the book. Hell I didn't even remember he killed the guard.

[@jondstewart]

Chai'naMarie03 he never killed the head guard at all in the book. It was Hamid, a guard at the prison shot to death by a former prisoner at a restaurant. Hamidou in this movie was an alien with no compassion whatsoever and killed by accident so the producers could save money. I doubt a wooden hook in the wall could impale a man pushed into it with force.

[@jamesdewer]

Amazing story, incredible. One of the few books I've read with a movie of equal stature. It must have taken Mr. Hayes considerable fortitude to have survived Turkish prison and then write about. As compelling today as it was in the late 1970s-1980s.

[@el8619]

I am gpong to read it!

[@youravaragetoxicmasculinem9508]

The story was very owerexagarated and false most of the time, the author of the book, the director and mr. Hayes all apologized from the Turkish people for the movie, Hayes said that beside in the interegation rroom when they first found the opium he was never beaten and not raped.

[@isore3090]

None of the violent scenes in the film happened in real life. The movie was a racist reaction to Turkey's lifting of the ban on opium farms, which the U.S. was not happy about

[@youravaragetoxicmasculinem9508]

@@isore3090 Erlik videosundan sonra 😂sen de mi buraya geldin knk

[@nuruzzaman4893]

Should we admire Billy's character? Should we despise the system? I don't think so. But we ought to learn some lessons, right?

[@TR13400]

Billy is not so bad

[@Abucody]

I was in the US Army in 1979 when we had to show this film to the prisoners at the stockade at Fort Sill. Oklahoma and I was just a hung 19 years old Military Police. The film was great I believe a lot happened in real as it did in the film and some might not. Brad Davis was great as Billy Hayes.

[@thescholiast5118]

Why on earth would you have to show this film to your prisoners?

[@youravaragetoxicmasculinem9508]

The story was very owerexagarated and false most of the time, the author of the book, the director and mr. Hayes all apologized from the Turkish people for the movie, Hayes said that beside in the interegation rroom when they first found the opium he was never beaten and not raped.

[@alperen1383]

Nah it was all bullshit.

[@hakanp]

F.off this film is bullshit

[@ITIsFunnyDamnIT]

I liked the locked up abroad story with him telling about his experience better than the movie. I watch him on locked up abroad before I watched midnight express.

[@nadiabonnici7788]

billy hayes it was such an emotional story what happened to that english guy your friend

[@kenstrain4366]

He died in prison

[@nadiabonnici7788]

@@kenstrain4366 oh how sad

[@tuffgong9951]

Great movie starring Brad Davis and John Hurt 😀 Saw it on its first release in the middle seventies . Super musical score by Giorgio Moroder . Fabulous!!

[@ozwunder69]

late 70s

[@jondstewart]

Tuff Gong you almost forget that man playing the Englishman Max, a hopeless and wasted lifer and junkie, is the same man playing the sweet and gentle John Merrick in The Elephant Man later on. And of course the Ill-fated man in Alien.

[@ste123456754]

Yes very good film and the big prison officer over them looked and was evil

[@valentinr.dominguez2892]

Giorgio Moroder was exceptional.

[@hakanp]

This film is bullshit

[@alenel-rp3ri]

So freaking good. And the music. Happy birthday Billy april 3.

[@billbates5475]

Billy still got a case of the Old Istanbul Blues, that's what it is.

[@robzilla730]

Is-stan-bul blu-ues

[@JAMES51990]

'Midnight Express' is one of my favorite films of all time!

[@denizliberal]

It was a hatred movie, you dont care.

[@cagdas_demir_albayrak]

So your favourite is a racist propaganda.

[@ninethough]

it wasn't a movie, just a shitty propaganda

[@yasinov1256]

Well you have shit taste

[@bozokluoglu_]

Plot twist most likely Haynes never escaped from the prison, but the two governments agreed to stick with this story after letting him go as this case caused a really big buzz in both countries. He was jailed in Imrali Island and in one of the most secured prisons, his story "I hid in a boat and then swam" doesn't sound realistic for me at all, just look out this island on a map. Besides Haynes was a drug smuggler and he was caught smuggling 2+ kg of hashish and according to his words this was his 4th time, he was asked what would he have done if achieved boarding the plane, he answered he would've come for the 5th time. So it is not like how it is in the movie "I was going to share them with my friends..". I am a Turk and I find this movie very good, yeah a very good propaganda movie. It has all this black and white shit that completes the sole requirement of any propaganda movie. It broke my heart when they showed the hanged cat scene, when Turkish food was called shit and when I saw Armanians playing 'Turkish villain' roles with their shitty accents.

[@nytoaddis76]

What you are experiencing is the extreme racism of Oliver Stone, the writer of the movie script, and Hollywood of the 1970s. Oliver Stone hated the American and global War of Drugs because he himself (like Billy Hayes) was caught and arrested smuggling marijuana and drugs to America from Mexico. He had to pay a lot of legal fees to escape American prison time. Stone took out his anger on Turkey in the most racist way possible. Americans were told the false story written by Stone and they accepted it because most of them have never traveled and no nothing about the rest of the world. Also, Americans can be hypocritical. Their prisons are filled with poor black men serving long prison terms for dealing drugs. It's just that Oliver Stone did not care about the black American men in prison in his country, he only felt sympathy for the drug smuggler that looked like him.

[@tonygard1424]

I read the book and it’s quite different from the film. I’m in Istanbul now and it’s a beautiful city with wonderful people. I would have loved to have visited the prison but I believe it closed in 2008.

[@donrounds7791]

I first watched this film (underage) in the early 80s and I never forgot it. I watched it again last night and it was just as harrowing and powerful. I remembered many key scenes. I remembered when he was caught at the airport, the beating of the feet by the guard, the kiss with the inmate in the shower, his girlfriend removing her top when visiting and the sadistic guard getting killed leading to his escape (not actually based on Hayes real experiences though). What I did not remember was the amazing performances from John Hurt - just genius acting!

[@francaisediesachsenliebtsa8679]

I always wanted to know what happened for Max? Billy can keep promise to save him like in movie ?

[@francaisediesachsenliebtsa8679]

@@daselmojo I have the book now and Max was real character, and was free severals months after Billy 😊🙂

[@jumper1096]

An interview with Billy Hayes from ADIKA LIVE talks about what happened to Max: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6CvloWdo7Shm8k

[@francaisediesachsenliebtsa8679]

@@jumper1096 thank you

[@pascalmanuel3]

Although there are issues with the film it is still one worth watching, a great prison drama with amazing music

[@89strangelove]

"it could have been a lot of people, anybody who's travelled" um not really?

[@SooziinCa]

The book was far more exciting than the movie. I read it as a high school freshman, & I remember telling myself that I’d never travel to Turkey (although I loved Greece!). I am glad that Mr. Hayes has led a happy & lovely life.

[@Error_-xn7po]

I am glad to hear that you will never visit Turkey.

[@ADANALAYIK]

Türk düşmanı ermenilerin Türkiye'yi kötü göstermesine bakmayın. Yorumlarda Türkiye'ye gidenlerin düşüncesini okursanız anlarsınız

[@freealadem]

@@ADANALAYIKفي الحقيقة الاتراك يبدون كما صورهم الفيلم تماما شعب مليئ بالنفاق والتكبر

[@valerie241]

I read the book thirty years ago. But I felt let-down later when I read BH had been smuggling drugs before he was eventually caught.

[@Ba2hanVEVO]

Truth hurts. This film is too far from reality. BH apologise for this film from Turks,

[@luislizard2626]

My gorgeous yoga teacher does retreats in turkey and it’s lovely

[@lordofthegleeks.]

can i communicate with her, i really would like to do yoga.

[@suzannehiggins1053]

I'm sure the Kurds think so.

[@waxwarrior03]

@@suzannehiggins1053 pretty much like the Native Americans surely think for US

[@weplo1597]

@@suzannehiggins1053 Kurdish people can be a president, vote, own home, marry but only problem Turks have is separatists.

[@swabbyboy]

Before you get too excited, the screen play was written by Oliver Stone. He's fucked up more great storie than anyone else.

[@summyacct2918]

Yeah, like 'Scarface' & 'Platoon'? Get real dude

[@DanielMazahreh]

Oliver Stone made the best films like Snowden, Platoon, and JFK.

[@princecharmonpoirtoi]

But I always wondered, why this story didn't happen in Morocco where they are specialists in hashish. Probably the one you carried came from Morocco. Turkish and Lebanese are known for putting opium in it... You would know because it flares up. I am sure you will love living in Amsterdam!

[@MannyRiberaOriginal]

JoseAn they grow it in turkey too. Morocco is easier to smuggle to europe.

[@makay582]

I have watched midnight express today and I wonder why all the Turks in the movie speak with Greek accent. It seems to me this movie is the best example of how pseudo art could be exploitated to throw shit on your political rivals. Before, I had a good idea about the critical thinking of western audience. Now I read the comments and try to get an idea about how this movie is received by the audiences. Unfortunately I come to think that I greatly overestimated western critical thinking abilities. The representation of Turkey in the west oscillates between the best and worst according to Turkish governments political stances. most probably the movie was financed by Armenian and Greek diasporas and calling it a movie would be an insult to the genre.

[@RickBauler]

What happened to the true Erich ( the swedish guy)?

[@jondstewart]

Ricardo Bauler I’ve thought the same thing. In the book he was getting transferred to a Swedish prison, easy time of course, but the movie made it look like he was getting released, period, but he said he got 12 years for a small amount of hashish. Or maybe he was getting transferred, but it was never mentioned. Just early morning, Billy sitting on the steps, and takes Erich’s hand, and that’s the end of it.

[@lydia8526]

A greatly exaggarated movie that makes stuff up for the sake of dramatic effect and adds things that are not in the book (which is already heavily dramatized). People who have actually been there at the time have given accounts that point towards the fact that this film is basically nonsense. Even the writer came to İstanbul and apologized to Turkish people for the negative and unjust impact it had on foreigners' impressions of Turkey as a country.

[@Marketoromagnolo]

has he ever told something about his friendship with the actor , very talened and underrated and handsome Brad Davis who played himself? they became very friends ( and also sharesd some drugs,,, nights), it would be interesting to listeni his momories about him.

[@gaylespencer6188]

Selfish man. His best friend in Turkey was trying to assemble money and false docs to help him once he escaped, assuming that that could have happened. In getting the false docs the friend had to deal with some rough people, people who believe the friend had more money. He was killed by them. For the sake of this selfish man.

[@T2005-h5n]

U call him a selfish man until ur in his shoes...being tortured, locked up in the worst conditions...its not selfishness, its the desire to freedom after years.. (no offense)

[@marcelosilveriomachado8813]

Algum brasileiro em 2018? Gostaria de ver este depoimento completo ao menos legendado. Obrigado.

[@fernandomaron87]

Ola amigo. Eu poderia traduzir mas não sei fazer legenda

[@haidemilagres8581]

Eu

[@MissPerriwinkle]

god bless u sir, im watching m express now and its harrowing. im glad ur ok, ur a hero!!!

[@cagdas_demir_albayrak]

Most of the stuff you saw in the movie is the exaggeration of the director and the senarist. Not the Truth...

[@higherview136]

I saw the movie in the early 80s as a young adult and again recently. My current husband had never seen the movie and we are in our early 60s now. I did not feel that the movie made Turkish people look bad at all, but the important realization is that any prison in a second or third world country, or even prisons in the United States, do contain people that are truly awful as prisoners and as administrators. The point everyone should focus on is the fact that if we find ourselves as captives in the hands of psychopaths and sociopaths, life turns extremely horrible very quickly and if we are not killed as the result of being captives, our lives will certainly and absolutely be changed forever. As a person that was held captive on a bogus criminal charge in the United States for over a year and horrifically abused inside a county jail in Colorado, I can state emphatically that “captives” become damaged permanently. I was released eventually due to having all of the charges against me dropped and (after my father threw a fit and demanded that Court TV broadcast my upcoming jury trial, the court decreed that the charges would be dropped with prejudice meaning that I could never be charged with any of it again since it was all bogus in the first place). The entire matter was done out of revenge because I stood up against an extremely corrupt sheriffs department after I discovered that my boyfriend was a confidential informant and had placed my life and my sons life in jeopardy so that he could be paid to snitch on people and be able to sneak around and enjoy drug use and even be able to make money from selling drugs. I refused to be a part of that and I was pregnant when I left him. He and his family came back on me after I gave birth to the baby and they sued me for custody. Since all of them were involved in the court system in that corrupt little county, my child was being handed over to these people by court order and when I refused to give up my child, I was arrested. in fact, a final orders hearing was accomplished and I wasn’t invited. I was given a warning by two people who told me what was happening so I placed my six year old son with my parents and my little three year old toddler daughter in another state with my aunt and my uncle who were devout church goers and had agreed to take care of my daughter while I fought this legal battle. The physical and mental torture I endured while in “their county jail“ was permanently damaging to me and when I got out, my career in the aerospace industry was completely destroyed. While sitting in jail I defaulted on student loans from my college education and my credit was ruined for the rest of my life because there was no way I could pay those loans after having defaulted when they wanted the total amount paid immediately after my release from jail and when I contacted them. I was not allowed to see my daughter her entire life and when she was 19 I eventually met her. She had been horrifically abused by her father so badly when she was a child that the Department of Social Services ordered that he not even be able to touch her body or hug her but no one ever contacted me to come and get my daughter from such a monster. I have been encouraged by hundreds of people to write a book about the situation and I kept every document in boxes but I just can’t make myself relive some of it if I were to sit down and try to write it all out. For the first 31 years of my life, I would’ve never dreamt that in the United States that someone could be treated so horribly and no one would really give a damn. It took many years before I could ever watch any movie or read any books about people who had been imprisoned. currently my daughter is in her early 30s and is a heavy user of cannibis, legal in Colorado. if she stays stoned every waking hour of her life, she doesn’t have to deal with any of it that she found out after she was a grown-up. 20 years of my life I lived in complete secrecy and refuse to ever have real estate in my name, including rental property, because I just did not know if I was going to be targeted at any time just because a gang would want to have a good time terrorizing me. I have been happily married for 24 years and been well cared for. I truly know that when they demanded that I get an abortion and I refuse to do so, the choice I made is what resulted in everything that followed. I do not regret for one second giving birth to that beautiful little baby girl.

[@myoig8957]

I AM SO GLAD HE ESCAPED... PAPA LISTEN... HE GOT AWAY OF A 30 YEARS PRISON SENTENCE... YYYYYYYYYYYAAAHHHHHHUUUU.... WHEN I SAW THAT ON THE FILM I SAW MYSELF DOING IT.... GREAT PAPA.... AND I GOT THE IDEA "ALWAYS CARRY SOMETHING U CAN GET RID OF QUIIIIIIIICK...... WHY DON'Y U GUYS GO BACK AND COMPLETE IT.....

[@mets23q]

myoi g who the fuk is papa

[@Sunsetlover8]

30 YEARS?! and in maximum security prison? that's what we're talking about, and that was the absurdity of the whole thing. People don't get 30 years for manslaughter then and now.

[@DixiePokerAce]

This happened in Turkey, not the U.S. There are different laws and sentences.

[@nytoaddis76]

in america, 3 strikes and you get life.

[@mrnuckle9584]

So in 1974 july Turkey marched in cyprus, amerika Started to sanction Turkey and ironicly this film comes out in 1978. Joseph goebbles would be proud of Amerika. This makes me sick.

[@skyliz1]

whatever happened to his book??? ( midnight return ) it isn't available anywhere... for a short time i hear it was available on amazon as an e-book--but that also isn't for sale any more & with no explanation..is there a ban on this book?? any assistance in locating the book, either in paper or electronic/digital would be appreciated.

[@UtopiaBlue68]

Schappelle Corby is now free on parole February 10/2/14 Just over 9 yr's of her 20 yr term.

[@supercooled]

Was he ever a guest on Art Bell's show?

[@Kelly14UK]

Guy's a wee bit of a hero to me. And btw the Island he escaped from, was where Turkey hanged a PM about 14 or 15 years previously. Turkey regretted the decision.

[@vonclausewitz8558]

You are actually wrong. The PM thats hung was actually in Yassiada in 1960. Hayes was kept in Imrali where the terrorist leader Ocalan will reside until his death.

[@Kelly14UK]

@@vonclausewitz8558 Ah well...

[@tedkwasko2101]

Look! It was decriminalized1960 in Turkey, when usa criminalized it the whole world did the same! now its legal in usa and illegal in Turkey any thoughts?

[@LucaBrasi0]

Life is sometimes funny.

[@candycabngfl]

Its only legal in some states, still illegal on a Federal level and people still go to prison for it. Its all nonsense imo.

[@benlejusticier]

He should have smuggled the hasch into a turkey on thanksgiving day.

[@kateycrisco8317]

he made a mistake. trying to make some quick cash. do not try to do this. I am not condoning drug smuggling but he did not deserve to be treated like a murderer or a continual criminal. he served his time more than. was appropriate for the crime in my eyes. LET HIM BE

[@lisadean1963]

What happened to Max ? & Jimmy? does anybody know?

[@mariosergopao]

According to the book, Max got out of jail (legally) some months after Hayes escape.

[@jondstewart]

Jimmy was a fictional character based off the Harvey Bell and Popeye characters in the book.

[@GokkunGuru]

Amazing story. Amazing movie!

[@giorginachkebia2468]

Main Lesson in this story is what trouble can bring desire for”easy quick money” majority including myself seeks for easy money. Gambling is one of them. But at the end we do not get away with it! This is the lesson here. Do not seek quick easy money work for it!!

[@mohamedzaki4701]

I think what's most ironic is that the American justice system isn't that much better. With Nixon's War on drugs and Rockefeller laws you can get pinched and stuck in jail for a lot less amount than what he did in the US. Or am I wrong?

[@jjtmmjjmm2113]

No your wrong, you have actually human rights in America 😂😂😂our Justice system is nothing like theirs

[@thescholiast5118]

Sure... Guantanamo bay...

[@nytoaddis76]

Your are right. Thousands of poor black men are serving very long prison sentences for possessing small amounts of drugs. It stays on their record permanently. However, one white smuggler from Long Island gets caught in Turkey and Hollywood puts out a disgusting racist movie.

[@simonbern8118]

@@jjtmmjjmm2113oh you poor soul. Wait till you learn about the US we have a different type of justice. Justice for the rich, corporations, and politicians.

[@jjtmmjjmm2113]

@@simonbern8118 born & raised in the us. You sound like a condescending 🤡. American vs turkish Justice systems aren’t even slightly comparable.

[@aleinad314]

In quegli anni la Turchia ebbe una politica interna difficile e complessa che si rispecchiò nelle relazioni con i Paesi Esteri. Quindi, sempre tenendo presente che il film di A. Parker è tratto "liberamente" dal libro di B.Hayes, non lo ritengo del tutto lontano da alcune verità di quei tempi. Ritengo inoltre che l'autore del libro, dopo diversi anni, abbia rilasciato interviste "ad hoc" per via dell'opinione negativa generale Wikipediait/Storia_della_Repubblica_di_Turchia

[@Kdr83691]

La realtà delle carceri di quei tempi non è innegabile...tuttavia la Turchia non è solo cose brutte !!! Voi occidentali del cazzo non vedere che cose brutte ...io sono arrivata nell87 in Italia e d’allora Turchia era sinonimo di fuga di mezza notte ! Comunque oggi le cose sono diverse ...molto diverse anche grazie al progresso ...peccato non poter dire la stessa cosa x l’Italia: sentenze Torreggiani x es? X non parlare di Poggio reale ? E dei tantissimi morti in carcere : uva, cucchi eccc

[@robzilla730]

Not A Parker, more Oliver Stone's script which takes generous liberties with the facts. All of his scripts do...

[@bengunns9500]

In the movie they forgot to search your legs and they started arguing, was that part true or not?

[@briansung3036]

Escaping prison is one thing but the guy went against the law.. what if the same thing happened in US soil.. You will either get deported or same thing would have happened in the 70s prison

[@fasihullah8386]

Quite right

[@carlosfigueroa790]

I just made a Rock and roll song! Esrar! Esrar! Esrar! Has Has! Has!

[@dannymiller7880]

,nothing like what happens in the movie

[@nunosoares2329]

RIP Billy Hayes. Condolences to the family :-(

[@freakyfornash]

Uh, he's not dead, and I'm even friends with him on Facebook too!

[@atillaozturk7075]

He got such a life experience😳

[@WDRowlett]

Midnight Express had a positive impact on me. I took my first trip to Europe in 1988. I thoroughly went through my luggage to make sure I didn't have even aspirin in there. And I went to only "safe" countries like England, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. No Turkish prison for me.

[@hej4313]

Safe? In the 80's(probably still today) you'd suffer pretty badly in southern prisons, specially french prisons are notorious in north Europe. If you want to stay safe? Respect the places you visit, they'll treat you very nicely in return.

[@nikosiderakis7105]

Turkey safe??? Two European and Greek citizens are held hostage by Erdogan in Turkey. Erdogan holds Islamic services in Christian Church.

[@fabiodellino5680]

@@srogovsrogov3343 has talked bellavista

[@seanwatts8342]

@@srogovsrogov3343 Troll elsewhere, Putin.

[@godoff.5304]

@@nikosiderakis7105 And in the meantime My Greek girlfriend from Greece came to Turkey 4 Times within 6 months and stayed more than 70 Days in total! Her girl friend also came and spend 10 days vacation in here while those so called 2 greek guys in prison! 1-) Those so called citizens are not ordinary two people! They are trained Greek Military members caught in Turkey , those probably trying to run intelligence operation in Turkey! No One would know they caught while doıing what cause Turkish intelligence would never tell actual reason to anyone or give any info about how they operate! 2-) Just before these 2 guys; Some military members in the Turkish army tried to revolt. Its found out that they are the member or Radical Islamist terrorist organisation that created and supported by CIA (Their leader and whole major dicks living in the pensilvania /USA = organisation that owns many Dollar Billionaires incorporated companies with huge cappitals, those no one even heard! This sect has more than 100 Islamist schools in the USa and more than 1000 Of them all around the world!) These guys revolt with heavy military weapons, including Attack choppers, tanks, F-16 jets! Attack choppers were shooting inside the cities onto civilians, regardless of looking how they are! More than 250 Civilian killed and more than 2000 Injured! More than 10 of those soldiers (Ranked officers) escaped to Greece! They are criminals those killed civilians with military weapons! Greece do not want to give back, while it is completely against to international laws! So, Turkish Gov. purposely captured those two idiot "Greek Army Intelligence Officers" to use against to Greece! Turkish intelligence probably knows every single Greek ıntelligence Officers operating inside of Turkey and just keep tracking/watching them closely from distance as if they never know and probably had been watching these guys from the day one! More than % 60 of Turkish nation hates Erdogan! Including me! Indeed, Erdogan hates Turks like me and Turks like me hates him too! However, right thing that done during wron guy's time, does not mean that you can define right action as the wrong action! Erdogan has nothing to do with it! Anyone in Turkey or anyone in any country would do the same thing during this kind of situation! USA, UK, France etc. would probably would killed the guys with torturing them, if they have been same situation! Indeed, Turkey released this guys, without even giving them a slap on the face!

[@CarlAquaForce]

Wow that one guard looked just like that one during the airport scene..

[@vitaminprotin]

Just saw his Film

[@MikeRoberts1964]

You have to wonder how many other potential "Billy Hayes" there were during that era, kids who attempted smuggling some hash home but WEREN'T caught and made it back to Mom and Dad and the Girlfriend and went onto have very different lives than if they had been caught and now, have a very interesting story about "The dumb thing I did in 1970."

[@sedgwicks9109]

Oooh billy

[@march11stoneytony]

What a cool guy

[@aleinad314]

Sicuramente il film di A. Parker è una rielaborazione del libro di B. Hayes che ha avuto fortuna nel riuscire a fuggire e tornare a casa! Di sicuro B. Hayes commise un reato. Di sicuro B. Hayes ha tratto un buon profitto dal suo libro e dal film che gli ha procurato molta pubblicità. Negli anni '70 altri ragazzi "stupidi" (non condividevo allora e non condivido oggi il loro operato) hanno fatto la stessa cosa che fece B.Hayes, ragazzi di Roma che nelle carceri Turche dell'epoca erano

[@quadflip701]

A little too late for that. I understand people dont have respect for drug smugglers and thats fine with me I dont disagree on anybodys opinions thats their own. But to have more respect for systems like that than drug smugglers? Im glad he got out. He was going up against a system he knew nothing about. People make mistakes.

[@Geordie_Boy01]

What happens to Max?

[@mariosergopao]

According to the book, he got out of jail (legally) some months after Hayes escape.

[@Geordie_Boy01]

mariosergopao hope he had a happy life after

[@karlmaldensnose5889]

Please explain how a drug smuggler escaping from jail is a hero of some sorts? What heroic act did he do? Smuggle drugs or Escape from jail, neither of which I see as Heroic

[@blackbelttroll4008]

Karl Malden's nose YOU SOUND MORE LIKE THE ARSEHOLE OF KARL MALDEN, NOT HIS NOSE !

[@iosifroussos7617]

Really ?? Are you talking seriously?? The official turkish justice system gave him a 4 year penalty for the drugs (ok with this), he did his penalty and the day of his freedom they add 30 years more!! Of course he is a hero , he saved himself from certain death in hellish conditions. But maybe you are one of those people who have never done wrong in their lives which gives you the right to judge from above like a small god of justice you are.........

[@nikosiderakis7105]

Did you read previous comment? Adding 30 years is unjust.

[@randallanthony1794]

there should be no war on drugs.are you on medication

[@billbates5475]

he did his time, he did 5 years. He is a hero because the system in turkey at that time was unjust, changed his sentence to 30 years and if the prosecutor had his way it would have been life sentence. THAT'S WHY he is a hero.

[@janjanssen3136]

how many times did he tell this story......

[@BuildingYourInheritance]

The Lord Jesus Christ kept you sir just watched your movie Midnight Express all I can say is wow

[@christianmonturanoii6539]

One of the best films ever the main monologue I use in acting

[@aroojghouri3142]

Please anyone tell me he is real billy Hayes

[@jhonday5261]

For Brad davis that was not the way that you left us soo early...

[@d.g.1594]

I had a chance to listen to Billy Haye's story on locked up abroad. I say it was better than the movie because I feel the movie hurt the Turkish people.😊

[@willdii-s3e]

What do you have for thanks giving?

[@ScottMartinD]

Five years sounds reasonable for drug smuggling.

[@christopherbickelman9431]

He escaped after 5 years, his sentence was much longer than that

[@ScottMartinD]

@@christopherbickelman9431 I'm saying the 5 years he did was enough.

[@bemindful724]

Did he ever go back to save his friend? Guess not, though. We never heard from him.

[@jacktheripoff1888]

In the book, Max was from Denmark. I may be wrong but I believe he was in the process of being transferred back to Denmark as part of a prisoner exchange at the time of the books printing.

[@briancopeland9279]

Did he ever go back to get and save Max

[@jondstewart]

In real life, Max was released shortly after Billy’s escape and never spent time in the insane asylum being beaten to rot away. In the movie, he was semi-comatose from severe beatings from the head guard and almost dead when Billy came up to him and told him to hang on before he escapes. So probably no for the latter.

[@yakupdemir5016]

Human rights are the first in the world in Turkey. Even the hair of people is not harmed in Turkey, and nothing has happened to any tourist. and there is zero corruption

[@sakisd128]

I wish that Billy Hayes participated in a Greek movie. Too bad he didn't take part in the movie Smyrna Beloved. We want him in Greece. Thousands of stuff for 1922.

[@benwade7419]

The film is nothing like his real escape, the director had to apologise to turkey for his portrayal of it, I wouldn’t go to Turkey though, dodgy place

[@jondstewart]

The original movie should have been accurate and unsensational. No girlfriend traveling with him that stays faithful for 5 years, shifty lawyers stretching his stay for years before the official sentence, feigning mental illness to have an opportunity to escape with his old friend helping out only to be killed, and on top of that, his stay at a prison island escaping in a dinghy running to Greece afterwards before being deported to America. Oliver Stone has always been an exaggerating drama queen looking at the world as a place full of horrible and hostile people wanting to hurt and torment you, especially foreigners from second and third world countries, uneducated Army grunts, stock swindlers, and conservatives spitting on and calling paralyzed war vets traitors because they aren’t respected. The only parts of the movie actually shot in Turkey were the opening scene when it was supposed to be for a Benson and Hedges cigarette commercial and stock shots of mosques when Billy is in prison with morning prayer. So xenophobic!

[@tuncceki]

Thank you for telling the truth. This dishonest man has been filling his pockets with these lies for years.

[@Susan-xw3cf]

I wouldn't trust Oliver Stone to tell me about a trip to his mailbox, let alone someone's overseas nightmare journey.

[@civan_agi]

I want to ask something,what happened to Susan?

[@freakyfornash]

She wasn't quite a real character, as Billy was alone when he traveled to Turkey, and got caught. She though was based off an old fling of his named Lily, who came to visit him while incarcerated, and did the opposite of what Susan said to do in the movie. That of which was to NOT try to escape, and that his family and country were still working on getting him released A.S.A.P.

[@selfquarantine9303]

I am wondering what he would do if he were not able to break out from prison. Would he still say that it was a one dimensional film. I am a Turkish person who is living in exile now and my friends were tortured in Turkish prisons in 2019. There are 600 kids are in Turkish jails now (2023) and pregnant women as well. Things did not get better after all those years

[@mohamedzaki4701]

The film was great and well done for its time but I think Oliver could have at least put one or two friendly Turks in it, besides the crazy fat guy.

[@kenneththorberg6914]

@Zlar Vixen"...well done for it´s time " ? The Seventees WAS actually the prime time for the film industry. Since then it has just declined into too much of an...industry.

[@keithstebbing436]

Alan Parker. Not Oliver.

[@keithstebbing436]

Alan Parker, not Oliver.

[@onelemre]

It just remembered me how ICE treating POC these days

[@alinilifrka6372]

1974 were given amnesty in Turkey How william hayes could not benefit from amnesty

[@johnparke659]

Favourite film of all time.

[@metehansaygl1859]

What a slanderous nation you Americans are , none of the slander in this movie is true , it is a lie

[@metehansaygl1859]

Racist

[@jondstewart]

Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

[@freestylesystemsTV]

You like movies about gladiators?

[@candycabngfl]

I am serious and don't call me Shirley !

[@manav991]

In this 2 part video he is talking about his life in prison while he was in turkey.

[@dinohasanov6196]

Actusly on 17 october few years back he hoisted a Turkish flag in WALL STREET AND WAS A SPECIAL GUEST OF THE TURKISH EMBASY.....HE LATER REGRETET ,THE WAY MR OLIVER STONE PORTRAYED TURKS AND TURKEY....SEARCH YOU TUBE YOU WILL SE HIS INTERVIEW

[@diegobareno5820]

He is the second person I've heard who had to escape a hostile environment in a country in the middle east.

[@pierrepinson2906]

Turkey is not on the middle-east.

[@Dogge444]

@@pierrepinson2906 ? yes it is tha fuck boi

[@crenshawblaster3982]

@@Dogge444 Turkey is an Euroasian country asshole prick, check your geographic knowledge

[@weplo1597]

@@Dogge444 Turkiye takes place in Anatolia which is called Asia minor.

[@fckerman666]

policemen and other people who helped in times when he was in Turkey, told the movie is full of bullshits, they r always r ready to face with B. Hayes and filmmakers. Even Turkish Culture Minister wanted to contact with him, they invited him many times to Turkey but netiher came nor responded.he. im turkish, but im objective. but i want everyone ,whoever got involved with this event,to come together and announce the real things about the event.i think he doesnt wanna get discovered the truth...

[@billjoe39]

ditto in america

[@nikosiderakis7105]

The movie is based on facts and the way your leader is behaving today discredits Turkey. Like in the film, Turkey is holding two European and Greek citizens as hostages. Erdogan holds Islamic services in a Christian Church Agia Sophia which is an insult to ALL Christians. That is why the world has boycotted Turkish Tourism and products. Erdogan oppresses his very own people, especially Turkish journalists.

[@Kdr83691]

Niko Siderakis you are sick! You are racist!!! I invited you to be more objective!!!! Less racist

[@marksinclair2592]

There was an Interpol warrant for his arrest that stood for 20 years after the movie came out! Of course he wasn’t going to make a trip to turkey with in that time frame only to get busted again and thrown in jail? Fuck that.. he thought the time to come there and explain the truth was when the Interpol warrant was off and was assured nothing was going to happen to him when returning back.. he went with US government officials and representatives of NATO to make sure the Turks kept their word.. would you return to a country during an Interpol warrant if you were in his shoes? Don’t think so.

[@scottsimpson8641]

BILLY HAYES LOVED PIZZA.[ PEPPERONI PIZZA,YUMMY!] BEFORE HE WENT TO TURKEY HE WENT TO HIS FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE [ANTONIO'S] HE ALSO HAD BRUXISM AND GROUND HIS TEETH DOWN TO STUMPS.DONT HAVE GOOD PIZZA IN TURKEY!

[@kesorangutan6170]

We have ''lahmacun'' :)

[@samalaz6854]

i don´t underestand why he had to apologize to the turkish people from the film, he was condemned to prison for the rest of his life for smuggling hashish, i think it is very much exagerated ,and an abuse ,so what he did was right ,if turkish fells that this film may damage the image of the country is their problem, first they have to learn how to treat people and give them a fair punishment

[@aaronn123]

Sam Alaz shut the fuck up.

[@MannyRiberaOriginal]

Sam Alaz the film is fake

[@arlene4299]

The film isn't fake although some parts are. Billy Hayes was sentenced to life in prison and that's a fact.

[@mehmetyilmaz1080]

what the fuck are you talking about? even Oliver Stone himself confessed that he exaggerated in the movie. and he apologised

[@umitbalioglu4251]

He apologized because he really exaggerated about the incident.

[@DJ_DANCE_CLASSICS_GLASGOW]

WELL IF YOU READ THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS BOOK - YOU WILL SEE MOST THINGS IN THE MOVIE NEVER HAPPENED

[@hukramadan111]

Billy..you are allways welcome toTurkey...But don't come with a drogues...please Mr.Hayes!

[@TR13400]

Drugs > Turkey

[@jessebrettjames]

Play silly games, win silly prizes. This guy's arrogance and entitlement is astounding. He has a very high opinion of himself, and blames everyone but himself, when his only accomplishment was stupidity. Saw the film and read the book twice. I'd forgotten about his revealing his gay tryst with the Swede. In the end he confused to exaggerating extensively and apologizing to Turkey, for having destroyed their tourist industry. This was, of course, before the megalomaniac Ottoman took the reins of power. By the way, I also passed via the pudding shop in Sultan Ahmet around the same time., albeit without the drug scene.

[@weplo1597]

Meh without him or with him. People always misjudge or make bad accusations towards Turkiye. It's always "Omg no women's rights" Which we had before anyone else in 1923, People are rude and harsh which we are now because we are depressed to live here, etc.

[@br1bb634]

❤️❤️❤️Turkey🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️