The title card that ends the scrolling credits reads all Ennis house scenes were filmed on location and shot on the property LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 2019. The movie "Blade Runner" (1982) ends it's opening credits with the exact same font reading LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 2019. This is especially significant because Harrison Ford's character Deckard lives in a futuristic apartment modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis house, a California state landmark originally constructed in 1923. Although Deckard's interior apartment was filmed at the legendary Pinewood Studios in the village of Iver Heath, England the inspiration of the use of the textile blocks as well as the exterior of Deckard's apartment building is based on the Ennis house. Ridley Scott's true vision for the film was realized in a later release of his director's cut. John G. Alvidsen who directed the "Karate Kid trilogy " chose to use the exterior and interior for the third movie. Terry Silver's fortress in "The Karate Kid Part III" (1989) is the same Mayan Temple inspired mansion. Unlike Blade Runner, the Karate Kid Part III filmed on location at the Ennis house. "Cobra Kai: Vietnam Vengeance" (2020) was of course an ultra low-budget production that couldn't possibly acquire the 6 to 7 figure price tag to be granted permission to film on the property. Keith Stahle who played Kreese was able to make an appeal in costume the morning the gorilla film team arrived at the Ennis house. The skeleton crew waited at the gate and Hollywood magic happened. The foreman of the construction crew graciously opened the gate and film history was made. No other movie will ever be able to say it filmed in November, 2019 at the "Blade Runner" house.
John Kreese and Kyle O'Connor as character names in "Cobra Kai: Vietnam Vengeance" (2020) are an intentional play on the character names of John Connor and Kyle Reese from James Cameron's "The Terminator" (1984).
Terry is introduced in a standard issue plain green private's uniform having been isolated from his platoon. After Terry is rescued by Kreese and Samson the original members of Cobra Kai in "Cobra Kai: Vietnam Vengeance" (2020) are an elite 5 man special forces tiger stripe unit. This connects with the original 5 Cobra Kai students lead by Johnny as they bully Daniel and fight Miyagi in the original "The Karate Kid" (1984) in their skeleton Halloween costumes, as well as the Vietnam movie "Firehawk" (1993) starring Martin Kove as the leader of a 5 man helicopter squadron.
The rapid fire run and gun shots of Captain Kreese alone separated from his soldiers borrows from Oliver Stone's "Platoon" (1986). Two of the camera set ups and action within them are very reminiscent of Willem Dafoe as Sergeant Elias in the scene where he works faster alone intercepting the enemy flank as they attempt to draw crossfire. Although one of the shots is reversed. Daniel Favela-Gary has a facial scar as Samson and this is also an homage to the famous scar that Tom Berenger's Sgt. Barnes has in "Platoon" (1986). ...[no relation to Mike Barnes~ Daniel's rival in "The Karate Kid Part III" (1989) although the connectivity of this last name choice may have been a source of inspiration for Mark Robert Kamen who no doubt saw Platoon before drafting the third script.]
Kreese demonstrates the exact technique Johnny does in "The Karate Kid" (1984) during the tournament montage as he intercepts Kyle's punch into a wrist lock dropping him to a knee with a front kick to the body and then hook kicking over his head to follow up with a roundhouse to his face. "Cobra Kai: Vietnam Vengeance" (2020) proves Johnny obviously learned this specific attack from Kreese and that it is a signature Cobra Kai move.