Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Released in 2004 by Lionsgate, The Punisher brought Marvel's grimmest vigilante to the screen during a transitional period for comic book cinema, when studios were still finding their footing between camp and grit. Thomas Jane starred as Frank Castle, a man remade into an instrument of vengeance after the murder of his family, and the film leaned into pulpy crime thriller territory rather than traditional superheroics. It arrived ahead of the genre's later polish, offering a rawer, more punishing take that still holds a devoted following among fans who prefer their antiheroes without capes.
This 35mm cell preserves a piece of Frank Castle in his identity as the Punisher, the character collectors seek out precisely because he operates outside costume and spectacle, defined instead by resolve and violence. Labeled simply "In Action," this moment marks Castle engaged in the pursuit that defines the character, the working core of the film rather than its exposition. For collectors, a strip like this represents the Punisher at his essential function, a frame of film history tied directly to the character's singular purpose on screen.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004)
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on the top edge; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame visible on the top edge; bottom edge perforations also present; spacing appears even and punches appear clean
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the perforations, appearing as a dual-track waveform pattern consistent with a stereo optical print
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears warm to slightly amber-tinted; dye image reads with a sepia-warm cast across all three frames, consistent with aged color print stock
Projection history
Light vertical lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with evidence of projection use
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of a 2004 theatrical feature
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, color positive print stock, and four-perforation 35mm format are all consistent with a standard 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 000064414
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
