Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
The Punisher (2004) arrived from Lionsgate as a gritty relaunch of Marvel's antihero, following the underperforming 1989 version and predating the character's later Netflix incarnation. Thomas Jane starred as Frank Castle opposite John Travolta's crime boss Howard Saint, with the film positioning itself as a hard-edged revenge thriller for the post-Blade era of Marvel adaptations. It found its audience through home video and cable rotation, cementing Travolta's Saint as a memorable screen villain even as critical reception stayed mixed.
This cell centers on Howard and Livia Saint, the married power couple whose family forms the engine of the film's revenge plot. Howard Saint drives the criminal empire that Frank Castle ultimately dismantles, while Livia's presence alongside him marks the domestic and dynastic side of that empire, the household Castle's war against Howard will unmake. Collectors seek Saint material for Travolta's marquee villain turn, and a paired cell like this one captures the couple as a unit, a foundational image of the corrupted family at the story's core before everything comes apart.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even; perforation edges appear cleanly punched with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-bilateral (two-track) configuration; a separate magnetic or digital track stripe is not clearly distinguishable at this size.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture; the edge areas do not show legible key numbers or manufacturer text at this resolution.
Base & colour
The base shows a cyan-tinted clear stock consistent with a colour print; the dye image appears neutral with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light longitudinal scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot; the formal attire and setting are consistent with a scene from The Punisher (2004).
Era check
The dual-bilateral optical soundtrack, cyan-base colour stock, and perforation style are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2004 release date on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000064390
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
