Steve Martin’s Sgt. Bilko is a masterclass in doing the least and getting away with everything. He’s running a full-scale casino, dodging actual military duties, and somehow still beloved by everyone on base—except for Phil Hartman’s Major Thorn, who spends the entire movie in a slow-motion meltdown.

We’re joined by comedian Gus Tate, who can’t believe Sgt. Bilko has a 31% critic score and a 47% audience score. As Gus put it:

"What the f** is going on? What’s wrong with Sgt. Bilko?"* 64 Sgt-Bilko

This episode breaks it all down, including:

🎲 Bilko’s best scams (and why we’d 100% pay extra for those “special towels”) 64 Sgt-Bilko

🎰 Why the army seems totally fine with an on-base casino

🐎 The most unexpected horse cameo in military history

🚀 That out-of-control hovercraft and why no one in the Pentagon stopped it

And of course, Gus shares how Steve Martin’s ridiculous salute in this movie has completely ruined normal hand gestures for him:

"The way he salutes in this movie has totally influenced the way I greet people. I physically can’t NOT do it now." 64 Sgt-Bilko

This is the 90s mid-budget comedy we miss, and we’re giving it the Slept-On Cinema treatment.

⏰ Timestamps:

🎬 0:00 – Welcome to Slept-On Cinema! Gus Tate joins us for a deep dive into Sgt. Bilko.

📝 2:10 – Rotten Reviews – Why the critics got this one completely wrong.

👀 11:45 – BOLO (Be On the Lookout!) – A hidden Chris Rock cameo, high-stakes poker, and some truly incredible background chaos. 64 Sgt-Bilko (1)

🍸 19:30 – What Drink Pairs with This Movie? A military-approved espresso pick-me-up and a classic dessert cocktail from the film. 64 Sgt-Bilko

🎭 28:55 – The Draft: Best Moments – The best Bilko scams, Thorn’s worst meltdowns, and that ridiculous salute. 64 Sgt-Bilko

🚀 39:40 – One Change to Make It a Blockbuster – What if the marketing had actually leaned into the scams?

🎩 47:37 – Bumper Sticker Line – "And you don’t find that frightening?" – the most unexpectedly hilarious moment of the film. 64 Sgt-Bilko (1)

🔀 56:20 – Spinoff Ideas – Sgt. Bilko: The War Years, Thorn’s Revenge, and Bilko in Space. 64 Sgt-Bilko (1)

🎙️ 1:07:30 – Final Thoughts & Gus Tate’s Comedy Plugs – Where to find Gus’s stand-up and why Sgt. Bilko deserved so much better.

🎙️ LISTEN NOW: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

📲 Follow us @sleptoncinema for clips, deep dives, and the movies nobody else is talking about.

💬 Comment below: Is Sgt. Bilko a forgotten classic or should he be court-martialed?

#SleptOnCinema #GusTate #SgtBilko #SteveMartin #90sMovies #ComedyPodcast #MovieLovers #UnderratedGems

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