The World Beyond

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!

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.

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

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.

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").