Robbie

Only if you are really sick like me. We watched this movie in Primary School. I distinctly remember being in Primary 6 and it was the day before we all went off on our Easter holidays. They herded us into the gym hall where a representative from British Rail gave us a speech on why we shouldn't trespass on railways. It fell on deaf ears. Or at least it did in my case.

After the speech he put on this movie. And let me tell you, the movie is brilliant because you get see a little boy get mown over by a train. When you're a sick-humored 10-year-old, it's the funniest thing. And don't single me out, the whole bunch of us found it hilarious and burst into laughter. I think the Brit Rail rep got a little p*ssed off.

The bit where Robbie gets his feet sawn off was the best and then his big sister loses her voice through shock after witnessing such horror. Robbie was still alive though...but he WON'T be playing football again. Well that'll teach you not to play on the railroad then you silly boy! Of course I thought I was above it all and immortal, as any kid does and a few years later I almost met the same fate myself as I was moronically playing on the railroad tracks. But through some sort of act-of-God miracle I survived intact. So kids...pay some bloody attention!

There were different versions of the film that had Robbie meet various grisly ends, such as being fried with electricity and stuff, the director must have had loads of fun killing him off so many times. But it's all for a good cause eh? A cause I was too arrogant to pay attention to.

The film is practically IMPOSSIBLE to find these days. They still tour schools with it, as far as I know. But there's no DVD. A lot of stuff that British Transport Films produced now belongs to the British Film Institute, so you should try contacting them. It would be a unique film to own, I must admit.