Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
The Punisher arrived in 2004 through Lionsgate and Marvel Enterprises, part of an early wave of comic adaptations still finding their footing before the genre's later dominance. Thomas Jane took on the role of Frank Castle, a former Marine and federal agent who becomes a vigilante after his family is murdered, delivering a grim, R-rated take that leaned into crime thriller conventions rather than superhero spectacle. The film holds a particular place among Marvel completists and genre collectors precisely because it predates the more polished, interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, offering a rawer, standalone vision of the character.
This cell preserves Frank Castle in the midst of his campaign against those who wronged him, the moment described simply as Castle in action situates him as the driving force of the picture rather than a background presence. Collectors of Punisher material prize footage of the character actively pursuing his mission, since it speaks to the core identity of the vigilante archetype. As a 35mm frame drawn from the release print itself, this piece represents a tangible fragment of that theatrical run, valued for its direct link to the character's defining pursuit.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both visible edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly formed with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single bilateral variable-area track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, indicating a combined optical and Dolby Digital soundtrack.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base shows a neutral-to-slightly-warm tint; the dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious red shift or fading apparent.
Projection history
Light vertical 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 and the action depicted is consistent with a release print of The Punisher (2004).
Era check
The combination of a Dolby Digital data block track alongside a variable-area optical track is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2004 release date of the film 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 000064410
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
