The Lost Boys is remembered as perhaps the magnum opus of Joel Schumacher. The teen vampire film was incredibly influential and boasted a recognizable cast. One cast member stuck out not for his acting per se, but for his sheer energy and enthusiasm. Let’s learn about the shirtless, bodybuilding sax player Tim Cappello and his memorable impact on film history.
A Stacked Cast For ‘The Lost Boys’
The Lost Boys was written in 1985, with Richard Donner originally set to direct a vampire-version of The Goonies. When he got sidetracked, Schumacher was handed the project. He decided to do what he does best: make it campier and sexier.
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The cast of mostly unknowns is powerful in hindsight. Jason Patric starred alongside Kiefer Sutherland and the two Corey’s: Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. Dianne Wiest was there fresh off winning an Academy Award for Hannah And Her Sisters, not to mention Bill S. Preston himself Alex Winter.
Then there’s Cappello. He only nets less than two minutes of screen time, but my goodness does he make an impact. He’s oiled up and ferociously playing a saxophone-centric cover of “I Still Believe” by The Call.
This is Schumacher incarnate: over the top, broadly sexual, and extremely memorable if a bit nonsensical. Why did this movie need a macho sax solo? Why would you ask such a silly question?
His cover made its way onto the soundtrack of the film, and into pop culture itself. Family Guy later lampooned the scene, but the best parody has to be from Saturday Night Live. The “I Still Believe” scene served as the main inspiration for one of the best digital shorts in the show’s history: Jon Hamm as Sergio in “The Curse.”
Who Is Tim Cappello?
Cappello got his start touring with folks like Billy Crystal and Peter Gabriel. When he kicked a heroin addiction in 1979, he pick up bodybuilding. Cappello’s stature and muscles meant he could be paraded around the stage by Carly Simon. His physicality helped him land roles in Lost Boys, Miami Vice, and Hearts of Fire to name a few.
In 1984, Cappello was hired by Tina Turner. You can hear him play on numerous tracks from the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome soundtrack. He later toured with Ringo Starr. Not too shabby.
What’s He Doing Today?
When he’s not appearing in Netflix series like The Break with Michelle Wolf or Worn Stories, Capello is still making music. He released an album, Blood on the Reed in 2018. He’s an undercover legend who isn’t easily forgotten. It’s worth watching all of The Lost Boys just to see him.