Midnight Express is a 1978 English-language Biography Crime motion picture directed by Alan Parker and produced by Alan Marshall and David Puttnam under the banner of Casablanca FilmWorks. On October 6, 1970 while boarding an international flight out of Istanbul Airport, American Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle 2 kilos of hashish out of the country, the drugs strapped to his body. He is told that he will be released if he cooperates with the authorities in identifying the person who actually sold him the hash. Billy's troubles really begin when after that assistance, he makes a run for it and is recaptured. He is initially sentenced to just over four years for possession, with no time for the harsh crime of smuggling. The prison environment is inhospitable in every sense, with a sadistic prison guard named Hamidou ruling the prison, he who relishes the mental and physical torture he inflicts on the prisoners for whatever reason. Told to trust no one, Billy does befriend a few of the other inmates, namely fellow American Jimmy Booth (in for stealing two candlesticks from a mosque), a Swede named Erich, and one of the senior prisoners having already served seven years, an Englishman named Max, the latter two also in for hash related charges. One prisoner not befriended is Rifki, who wields power in the prison as the unofficial eyes and ears for the guards. As Billy, his family and his girlfriend Susan attempt through legal and diplomatic channels for Billy's release, Max tells him that the only way out is to catch the midnight express aka escape, which is what Jimmy is continually trying to do. When Billy's situation changes, he becomes desperate in every sense of the word. It ms as if Billy has only two options: to let the prison ultimately figuratively then literally kill him, or to somehow regain control of his life through whatever means available. Written by Huggo. Midnight express features Brad Davis in the lead role along with an ensemble cast including Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Randy Quaid, John Hurt, Paul L. Smith and Paolo Bonacelli. The screenplay is written by Oliver Stone which is inspired from Midnight Express by Billy Hayes William Hoffer. The music was composed by Giorgio Moroder. Cinematography was done by Michael Seresin and editing by Gerry Hambling. The motion picture has a running time of 121 minutes. and it received positive reviews from critics when it was released and became successful at box office. Midnight Express was made on a budget of $2 million and it was a super hit at box office gross of $35 million. Distribution rights for the film were acquired by Columbia Pictures.