Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Released by Lionsgate in 2004, The Punisher arrived as part of a wave of Marvel adaptations trying to find a harder, more R-rated edge before the genre tilted toward franchise polish. Thomas Jane starred as Frank Castle, with John Travolta as crime boss Howard Saint, and the film built its identity on pulp violence and vengeance rather than spectacle, making it a curiosity piece for collectors tracking early 2000s comic cinema before the MCU standardized the formula.
This cell centers on Harry Heck, Howard Saint's house musician, caught in the act his name promises: playing guitar. Harry Heck is a small but memorable supporting figure, valued by collectors for rounding out Saint's world with a distinct flourish of showmanship inside the criminal empire. A cell like this preserves a beat of atmosphere rather than plot, the kind of moment editors use to color a scene's mood without advancing the central conflict. For fans of the Saint household's texture, it's a niche but satisfying piece of memorabilia.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm color 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 torn or missing perforations.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the lower edge beside the picture area, appearing as a narrow undulating white band consistent with an analog optical mono or stereo track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks between perforations are not clearly distinguishable at this size, nor is a DTS timecode stripe or SDDS outer-edge data visible.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base carries a strong blue-cyan overall tint; the dye image reads as a blue-shifted color negative or a timed print with heavy blue cast, not a neutral or warm image.
Projection history
Fine longitudinal lines consistent with projection wear are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
The image is a color positive print; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of a 2004 feature film.
Era check
The analog optical soundtrack, color dye image on a safety base, and 35mm four-perforation layout are all consistent with a standard 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 000064393
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
