Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Lionsgate's 2004 revival of The Punisher arrived as part of a broader early-2000s push to reintroduce Marvel properties to theaters before the studio-defined MCU era took hold. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, the film leaned into hard-edged crime drama rather than traditional superhero spectacle, pitting its antihero against a Tampa crime family. John Travolta's presence as the villain gave the production a marquee draw, and the film has since become a touchstone for fans who prefer its grittier, vengeance-driven tone over later franchise interpretations.
This cell centers on Howard and Livia Saint, the husband and wife at the head of the criminal empire Frank Castle sets out to destroy. Howard, the ruthless mob boss, and Livia, his wife whose own actions help set the film's violent plot into motion, represent the domestic and criminal core the story is built around. Collectors seek this pairing because it captures the Saints together, the two figures whose choices drive Castle's entire campaign of retribution.
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 and the punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge, with what appears to be a secondary Dolby Digital data block region between the perforations on the same side; a DTS timecode stripe appears present on the lower edge strip.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; no manufacturer text or key numbers can be read with confidence.
Base & colour
The base shows a cool blue-tinted cast consistent with a colour print stock; dye image appears intact with no visible fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal abrasion lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a projected print.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot, consistent with a release print of The Punisher (2004).
Era check
The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital data blocks, DTS timecode stripe, and colour print stock is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s.
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 000064392
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
