Midnight Express

Do you remember that great line in the movie Airplane, where Peter Graves as Captain Oveur asks his young passenger, "Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" So funny, right?

Yeah, well not if you're Billy Hayes. He's the subject of Nat Geo's new documentary "The Real Midnight Express", which is premiering next week as part of its new season of Locked Up Abroad. I screened the film last night at the Paley Center - one of my favorite venues in LA (and NY) to soak up media and pop culture.

You may remember Midnight Express, the Oscar®-winning movie from the late '70s starring Brad Davis and adapted by Oliver Stone from Hayes' book of the same name. The film dramatizes the story of Hayes' hashish drug arrest, imprisonment and daring escape from a brutual Turkish prison. It has been criticized over the years for its alteration of some events for dramatic effect and for its portrayal of the Turks, but remains a solid pick among prison films. Nat Geo is presenting the story as a documentary, anchored by an interview narration with Hayes and a dramatic re-enactment of his full story, which for the first time Hayes is able to share. He is past the point of being a wanted man in Turkey - as he noted in a Q&A last night, he was actually invited back there for an event not so long ago - but his story still fascinates. He was accompanied by attorney Dick Atkins, who worked on Hayes' case and has helped thousands of Americans since get out of legal trouble abroad (and is now going to be in my rolodex next time I venture outside of the U.S.!). Atkins' tip: buy low-cost travel insurance, which helps provide assistance with many international emergencies.

Or I say, just stay home and watch documentaries instead!