In my opinion the all around best prison escape movie ever filmed was ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ with SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION making a close 2nd.

As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me.
They call me the wanderer.

There hasn't been nothing quite as harrowing as Midnight Express in the genre.
It really had everything, from the Turkish beep warden , to the prison rat "Rifki" , to Randy Quaid when he was acting or more likely just being himself it seems.
To the "Istanbul Blues" that they strum along to when in their bunks.
John Hurt, was so well portrayed as the apathetic prison junkie killing his pain with the beep Rifki sells them.
Georgio Moroder's "Chase" Theme Tune when Billy tries to run away in a Turkish market.
Was great film and music working in harmony.
The pace of the instrumental theme collides with his Eratic running and attempting to lose the police .
Only to encounter a brief cameo from Bo Hoskins.
This Prison Film Still Frightens me to this day , and it hasn't dated which is a great sentiment to the film.

Goonies, don't forget GOONIES

Brokedown Palace.

Papillon.

It is a true statement but illogical.

The o.p. thinks that if you like hotdogs, you might also like caviar.

I've seen most of those films, but I fail to see how any of them, except for Escape from Alcatraz, might make me think of Midnight Express.
Exactly! Bonnie and Clyde for goodness sake? Anything but like Midnight Express!

I've seen most of those films, but I fail to see how any of them, except for Escape from Alcatraz, might make me think of Midnight Express.

Ah, you beat me to it.

Papillon is another one