The World Beyond (1978 TV Movie) User Reviews

Scary enough

[ctomvelu1 · 7/10 · 24 February 2013]

What appears to be a pilot for a non-existent TV series turns out to be a pretty good monster movie. A man who communicates with the dead is directed to a location where he is to save the life of a woman he has never met. They journey to an island where her brother lives, only to find his home in disarray and no sign of him. Soon enough, they and the captain of the boat that brought them to the island are being pursued by a mud monster -- a golem that her brother built, as it turns out. The TV movie is genuinely scary, and the monster is only glimpsed until the very end, which keeps up the suspense. Some scenes would look right at home in "Evil Dead," whose director may in fact have been influenced by this modest thriller. Worth a watch.

AH-HA! I finally found the name of this movie

[TexasRedge · 7/10 · 15 May 2013]

I remember seeing this twice when I was a 9yr old kid. The first time I seen it, I was with my parents when it originally aired on TV, and it scared me to death. Then I spent the night with an aunt and uncle and it aired again, and I got to see it a second time. I'm not sure I even knew the name of it back then. I just know this movie scared me really bad both times that I watched it. (((I would love to see a full remake of this made with good special effects and a much longer script(and maybe with more than just one mud monster)....this could be turned into an incredible horror movie))) All of these years later, all I could remember was the arm getting cut off in the door and then the arm coming to life, and I remember them killing the mud monster by tripping him into the salty sea water.... I had looked for this movie for years but didn't know the title of it, then I luckily stumbled across it by accident on YOUTUBE, I literally jumped for joy when I found it on YOUTUBE. My search for this film (and it's title) was finally over.

Whats interesting is that when I went back and re-watched it again for the first time since 1978, I still found this movie to be very creepy.

From the dead, a cry for help...

[Coventry · 6/10 · 2 April 2022]

What I love most about these obscure and semi-forgotten TV-productions from the 70s, is reading the nostalgia-laden user comments from people who re-discovered them online and instantly remembered how it were the most terrifying viewing experiences from their childhood. Personally, I never had that kind of pleasure, as I'm a product of the 80s, and 90s television is in no way comparable to the 70s.

I can understand my so many people have fond memories about this "The World Beyond", and why certain aspects - like the constant shrieking - haunted their nightmares forever after. It's a fine example of a TV-pilot that potentially could have become very successful, but for some reason got cancelled in an early phase. Who knows, maybe because there were already enough and similar supernaturally themed TV-shows at the time ("Kolchak: Night Stalker", "Night Gallery", "Thriller", ...).

Fact remains that "The World Beyond" most definitely had reason for existence, what with its intriguing concept about a sport journalist who, following a motorcycle accident and a brief 2'37" period of being clinically dead, receives desperate requests from deceased people to rescue their living loved ones from upcoming dangers. In the pilot, additionally titled "Monster", he must go to a remote and practically inhabited island to protect a woman from a Golem. The monster, created from mud and brought to life through black magic, remains largely unseen but its harrowing shrieks and howling is very unsettling. The short film - not even one hour - also contains a few bloody moments, and an early lead role for the talented JoBeth Williams ("Poltergeist").

can't believe I'm not alone

[water11 · 31 August 2007]

I too saw this as a youth of about ten and remember being very frightened. I love the internet because I searched mud man and found this. Amazing, as I have been looking for this for maybe two decades. Most interesting though is I remembered yet another film from my youth about a giant turtle. I found the made for TV movie THE BERMUDA DEPTHS to satiate that search. Now heres the kicker. Somebody did enough research to find the TV Guide listing for our beloved THE WORLD BEYOND, lo and behold what movie do you think played right after world beyond? You got it THE BERMUDA DEPTHS. Quite a fine evening of television as you see that one night of programming has haunted me for more than 20 years. Brilliant! http://home.earthlink.net/~usondermann/mud.html

This fragmented memories of this movie have been kinda stuck in my mind for 40 years.

[Otkon · 7/10 · 14 August 2023]

I think I do have it conflated with couple of other movies or shows from the same time period as well. But the main part about the monster coming out of a mud hole on a small island is definitely from this. Although in my recollection, it is a tar pit.

Also in my mind, the plot revolved a group of hippie environmentalists on the island. It didn't have Barnard Hughes, the mom from Poltergeist and that one guy who looks like Tony Roberts, the actor - not Tony Roberts, the motivational speaker.

Anyway, as I remember, the group of environmentalist are staying at a brightly lit house on the island but become trapped and have no provisions. So they catch fish but are told that the fish are inedible due to high mercury levels.

I also wanna say there is a ornate four-poster bed but that might be a Bionic Woman episode. The one with Vincent Prince. That's a good one.

Oh, yeah, back to this movie. It is most likely the source of some childhood images that run on repeat in my skull theater. That I know.

Thought of this movie often

[myhandymantally · 7/10 · 9 January 2024]

I was 10 when this movie came out. I remember seeing it on TV a few times. I don't think I ever saw the whole thing in one sitting (i know one instance was late at my grandparents house, another could've been Creature Feature at my granny's house) but it left an impression. I Remember the man shaped hole in the mud, the monster, and that it was on an island. Nevertheless, I have thought of it often and even searched for it a few times before. "Monster man shaped hole in mud" is what finally got me here. Interesting to see I'm far from the only one who remembers this film. Now to determine where I can stream....

Fun pilot

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 28 December 2020]

If you don't get your pilot greenlit the first time - I'm looking at you, The World of Darkness - try again with another take at sports writer Paul Taylor (Granville Van Dusen), who died for 2 minutes and 37 seconds, which gives him the power to hear the voices of ghosts.

This has brought him to New England, where a golem has been attacking people. A golem of all things!

JoBeth Williams is somehow in this, but try as they may, CBS could not get anyone to want this to be a full-time series. If they had, it would have aired on Friday or Saturday and died a quick death. Such was the way of pre-The X-Files series. I can name so many - The Man From Atlantis, Misfits of Science, Automan, Manimal, The Powers of Matthew Star, The Phoenix, Battlestar Galactica, Galactica '80, The Highwayman, Gemini Man and many, many more. I watched them all and would bemoan the fact that they never could last.

This was created and written by Art Wallace, who developed Dark Shadows with Dan Curtis. He also wrote the TV movie She Waits and episodes of the Planet of the Apes series that were made into the European films Forgotten City of the Planet of the Apes and Back to the Planet of the Apes.It was directed by Noel Black, who made Pretty Poison and Private School, yet mostly directed television programs.

Speaking of TV Guide, Barnard Hughes - grandpa from The Lost Boys - is in this!

Scared the sh** out of me as a kid

[cowboypsychic1 · 9/10 · 14 April 2003]

I'm not really sure exactly when or under what circumstances I saw this movie, but it has haunted me ever since. There is a mud "golem" or "elemental" (basically, a creature made entirely out of mud but given human form) that is really terrifying. I never forgot the scene in which the golem's hand gets chopped off in the doorframe of a house, but the hand comes back to life. I was very lucky to track down a copy of this on DVD, because it's out of print (I don't think even the director has a copy). I would also love to see the TV movie that preceded this one (THE WORLD OF DARKNESS, I think), since this is actually the second "episode" of a two part supernatural pilot.

The most terrifying movie from my child hood

[ryanvance · 10/10 · 18 October 2006]

This is too wild! I am reading reviews from other people that I felt were my own memories of this flick. The monster, apparently created from mud, gets its hand cut off in the door, and then the hand crawls away. This memory has been with me for my entire life. I have talked to others about the movie and no one knew what I was talking about. So I started to think that maybe this was actually a dream I had and not a movie. But when I searched for "Mud Monster" this came up, finally I can confirm that I was not the only child to be haunted by this terrifically scary story. I always thought the name of the film was something along the lines of "Monster at the end of the World" so that did not help when I would try to describe the film to people. I would love to see it again, maybe it is not nearly as scary as I remember? I can't wait to call my brother to see if he remembers it. Thanks IMDb

I found the DVD

[dawson-44 · 14 June 2007]

Wow, I was shocked to discover others who have the same memories as me. I was 7 when I watched his movie and it gave me nightmares.... for a long time! That cutoff hand scared the begeebers out of me. I have talked about this movie and no one knew what I was talking about. I always thought the name of the movie was "Mud Monster". I guess this was the second in a series which was eventually canceled. I'd like to see the first "The World of Darkness". Anyone have any info???? I am so happy I've found the correct name and a website to buy the movie. superstrangevideo.com. How appropriate right? They are super nice and friendly. I just ordered mine, can't wait to watch it!

My Life long search is over!!!

[mmontry · 10/10 · 5 June 2005]

I have been in search of this movie for years. I have the best search engine on my blackberry called "ask me now" and one day I decided to ask about this "mud monster" movie I saw when I was a kid in the 70"s. It came back with "A World Beyond". I then searched for that film and it brought me to JoBeth Williams (I then knew this was the movie because I remembered at that moment her being in it). I then read all the comments about this movie and they are all EXACTLY what has been in my head since I was little!!! The Mud Monster, the hand being cut off, the basement. I also remember something about a boat house??? I seriously thought for years I dreamt this creature up.

I was so excited when I was reading these comments all called to my husband and he thought we won the lottery (we may have because I am suppose to be checking on that). My lifelong search is over. I now need to get a copy of this film so I can watch it again....

Oh Mud Monster where are you?????

Scared the bejesus out of me.

[pgabbard5 · 10/10 · 3 August 2007]

I saw this movie close to 30 years ago when I was about 10 years old, and I have never forgotten it. It was along the line of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, in that it involved a paranormal investigator of sorts, as well as I can remember a small group on an island are attacked by a creature that is made entirely of mud. The group decide that it is a golem, and that salt being a sacrament in most ancient religions can hurt it. I remember a scene where the creature's hand is cut off and as it is crawling across the floor a bag of salt on a counter top falls over on it and causes it to burst into flame. It is the first horror image that comes to my as I think back, with Carl Kolchak bringing up a close second. It scared the crap out of me, and I have been searching for information about it for quite a few years now. I only wish I had thought to do a broad based search for the word 'Golem' on the old IMDb some time ago, for the mystery is solved; now if I can only find a copy of it.

FINALLY!!!

[tbnd95678 · 12 January 2004]

SPOILER!!! I have been trying to figure out what the name of this movie for YEARS! This one and the Trilogy of Terror episode with the tiki-doll scared me to death as a kid. I totally remember the "mud monster" (that's what I called it) using the ground to regenerate. I also remember the hand getting cut off in the door-frame. I remember the hand gets cut off and it somehow makes it way to the basement. They go into the the basement later to get something and the hand (which is on one of the steps) grabs one of them and the struggle. A shelf gets knocked over and a bag/jar of salt is spilled on the hand and it catches fire. You then hear the creature screaming from somewhere on the island because it can feel its hand on fire. They then figure out that salt will kill the creature. The decide to use of themselves as bait to lure the creature into chasing them. The tie a rope between two trees and during the chase the creature is tripped into the salt-water and is destroyed. Wild movie...

gave me nightmares it was so scary

[genius771 · 8/10 · 17 August 2008]

I will never forget that monster. This is the only movie that truly scared the hell out of me, for years. I remember how eerie and scary it looked in that boat room and how it sounded with all of the mud splattered everywhere and the look on peoples faces. Its interesting, because I could not remember the name of this movie; I looked it up in google and found it thru another site, but it seems that many couldn't remember this movie's name, but there seems to be a universal point of recollection of this movie is when the monsters hand got cut off by the slamming door and about the salt. I remember my mom did everything get me to stop watching it, but I was glued. That night, and many after...I had nightmares about that monster. I don't know if I would want to see it again, tho....some things are supposed to stay where they are at that time. I think this is one of them.

A thrilling little TV horror movie.

[OllieSuave-007 · 8/10 · 4 September 2018]

With about an hour's worth of movie time, this TV horror does give you some chills and thrills, with the mud creature menacing a small group of people on a remote Maine Island after they were called there to look for a missing person. The creature's cries and shrieks are scary enough to frighten a whole town and its hideous appearance might give you nightmares.

It's a fast-paced movie from start to finish - just one main plot to follow and no room for filler subplots. The acting was good and the atmosphere was chilly. Though the suspense and thrills might be a little tame nowadays, it's still an entertaining movie.

Grade B

A Mud Monster on a cold winter's night.

[dharri74 · 10/10 · 21 May 2010]

I remember this pilot on TV back in 1978 living in New Hampshire on a cold January night. I came upon it randomly and was hooked by the title 'The World Beyond' I was alone in the house in my remote New England town and was scared to death by the film. I also remember clutching a pillow as I watched it. It was an original idea, and I would have like to seen which direction the show would have gone if it had been picked up. I've never seen the pilot since that night and couldn't remember the title until I searched online extensively. I will have my own copy of the movie soon and am excited to watch the movie that stuck in my head for 32 years. Here's to the Mud Monster !

This horror thriller was to be a TV series but never made it. It was shot on a small desolate island in the Thousand Islands in Canada.

[rainerfischer59 · 18 August 2011]

I rate this TV movie a 9. I was involved in it as both a stand-in for Granville and then later on as a stuntman. It was shot at an abandoned cottage on a small island in the Thousand Islands near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

I am reading some of the reviews here and it's amazing how it scared some kids.

There were a couple of memorable occasions. The regular stuntman (from Hollywood) was injured, and because I had a judo background, they asked me to fill in for him. With a fire poker in one hand and a flashlight in the other, I had to fall down the basement stairs as if the severed hand had grabbed my foot. Instead of falling down sideways as recommended, I decided to somersault down the stairs. At the bottom, I managed to turn just in time so I wouldn't do a face-plant on the wall, bounced off and rolled down the rest of the stairs. It's hard to catch the big collision on the screen because it happened so fast. I remember everyone being quiet for a few seconds, and then there was a big applause when they realized I hadn't killed myself.

The severed hand seemed to scare a lot of viewers. SPOILER: It was really one of the crew sticking his hand up through a hole in the floor. It was my hands that were going to pick it when it grabbed her arm.

Near the end, the poor 'mud monster' almost drowned because his rubber suit was so heavy that the divers had a hard time getting him out of the water. Many years later, I actually met the 'monster' himself quite by accident because we had met while working on something completely unrelated to movies. When we realized who we were and the chances that we would EVER meet again, we were simply amazed. I think he still lives somewhere nearby in the Toronto area.

From what I recall, it was to be a TV series but was never picked up by a studio. I had an opportunity at that time to go out to Hollywood to continue in the stunt/acting field but never did. Life goes on but I still wonder... it was a wonderful time, and as were all the cast and crew.

I'll post some pictures from the shoot in the near future on my resume, but in the meantime, I think I need to buy a copy somewhere.

Just rewatched it on Youtube

[unaseckler · 10/10 · 20 February 2017]

I loved this movie as a child, but only saw it once. I have mentioned to folks over the years but no one could remember its name. I found the name and that it was a TV pilot a few years back but could not find it anywhere to buy or stream. Finally someone has posted a VHS conversion on youtube. It really holds up surprisingly well. I can still see why it was scary even to a child like me that loved horror movies. Please give it a watch and a rating.

Buried In the Swamp of Memories

[james-mac · 5 March 2005]

Holy **** I think this was the show I saw when I was a kid that scared the beejeezuz out of me. My parent's were out and I was just old enough to be left alone, but young enough to be freaked out by this moody swamp monster. It was around this time that "In Search Of" hosted by Leonard Nimoy was on every Saturday Night. If there was anything about ghosts on it I didn't sleep. I remember my mother calling to check in when I saw this movie. I told her I was watching something that was scaring me on TV. Her advice "Don't watch it then." I had forgotten about this until I stumbled on this in the weird way that can only happen on the internet. In brief the 70's was a prime time for weird programming (After all this was they hey-day of Love Boat and Fantasy Island). I'd be curious to see this little treasure again as an adult. I suspect it would come across as rather cheezy, but as a ten year old in the basement late at night it wasn't hard to get freaked out.

Scary as H.E. Double Hockey Sticks!

[tank_dank · 10/10 · 13 June 2006]

What a trip. I have been wanting to know the name of this movie for a long time and a google search brought me here. This movie scared the crap out of me when I was little too. I remember the same things as everyone else here... the Mud Monster imprint in the ground, the hand getting cut off in the door, the hand grabbing a persons leg when they were going up the stairs in the cellar... I even remember seeing the Mud Monster under my bed after seeing this movie... I'm not kidding! I guess it had that much of an impact upon me. It would be great to see this on TV again or released on DVD. Great childhood horror memory. A couple of other good ones were "He Knows You're Alone" and "Terror Train".

Another Lost Gem of 70s Horror

[HorrorLARPGuy · 8/10 · 14 August 2005]

There were some great horror TV shows and movies of the week in the 70s and early 80s. Stuff that I would love to see again.

My story with "The World Beyond" is the same as everyone's here. I saw it when I was a kid, had nightmares, had to search to find out the title, etc. I only found the title out about 5 years back, and then found out that there was also "The World of Darkness" which I had not been aware of. I had seen it as a movie of the week. I had had no idea that it was a TV pilot that hadn't made it as a series.

Funny enough I wound up with a father-in-law with the same name as the main character (Paul Taylor).

I have e-mailed some DVD companies, trying to get them to pick up the rights to sell these two movies as well as the other lost TV horror gems "Evil Stalks This House" (AKA: Tales of the Haunted)& "The Bermuda Depths".

Please write these companies (and any others you think of) and let them know your interest in seeing this movie get released on DVD: Anchor Bay, Rhino Home Video, Unearthed Films, BCI Eclipse.

If you like "The World Beyond", you might also like: Evil Stalks This House (1981), The Bermuda Depths (1978), & Gargoyles (1972)

OMG! FINALLY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

[luvallcreatures-947-858405 · 9 March 2019]

I have been trying to figure out what movie this is since I was a kid! And now I see there are a lot of other people who feel the same way! Where were all of you when I was explaining this to someone and they were looking at me like I was insane!? I saw about 2 minutes of this movie when I was a kid. I came out of my bedroom to go to the bathroom and my mom was watching it. It was the part where the hand comes off and starts crawling. I have been traumatised ever since!! But I really want to see the entire movie now that I can handle it lol. Thank you Google and IMDb!

If someone has a DVD of this, let me know

[mr-norman-bates · 10/10 · 24 October 2005]

Needless to say, I pretty much stand with the rest of the commentators on this made-for-TV film (scared to death as a kid; still vividly remember scenes to this day, etc). I see "cowboypsychic1" has a DVD of this; if it is possible to get a copy of this, please email me at: [e-mail]

It's funny that so many remember these movies, people I've talked with, people who visit here. These movies had impact, by whatever chance, and need to be shown again. I remember the mud monster, and the salt hurting it, and how they tripped it into the water to kill it. I remember the next movie being the giant turtle and the woman named Jenny, who was actually a woman turned into a sea monster created by the devil. They were shown back to back, and I remember curling up with my blanket in a darkened room with all the doors locked (yes, I KNOW they were locked because I locked them), and watching as the mud monster terrorized the hapless victims. I wish they would show these two movies again, back to back, just as they did before. That would be totally awesome.

the world beyond

[lather835 · 10/10 · 8 November 2006]

like most of you, i saw this movie when i was young.it was always in the back of my mind,and if i mentioned it only a few people remembered it.i always referred to it as the mud monster.this movie scared me so much as a kid,i actually had nightmares about it even in my later years.i recently obtained a copy off of ebay.after watching it again it brought back memories.i was surprised at how much of that movie i remembered, considering i was 4 or 5 when i saw it.it is one of my favorite movies of all time,probably one of the first scary movies i ever saw.if you get the chance look for it on ebay.i got it on DVD,it seemed to be homemade with great effort.

I've been searching for years

[shawnsterz · 12 May 2004]

I saw this movie as a child and for atleast two years I checked under my bed and in my closet for the monster and then slept with the covers over my head (small airhole for breathing, of course) every night no matter how hot it was.

I have asked so many people about this movie just trying to come up its title, no luck until now and I'm thrilled.

Now we just need to find a copy of it. I want to watch it along with the other one that terrified me from my childhood Frankenstein; The True Story.