Merle Kessler's idea for the film was inspired by Zarda Dairy in the Kansas City area that had a statue of a giant cow.

The plot of the movie revolves around a struggling Hollywood director who wished to return to his home state of Iowa and create a successful horror film.

However, upon arriving in Iowa, the young director (played by Merle Kessler) is immediately distracted by old friends and family, a problem which will plague him throughout the making of his film, Zadar!

However, the film's defining moment comes when the individuals meant to be playing cows realize that they cannot remove the plastic horns from their heads.

[4] There is also a reference to the movie in the role-playing video game Neverwinter Nights, in which a cheat that summons killer cows is entered by typing "dm_cowsfromhell".