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 through Lionsgate, this adaptation of Marvel's Punisher character arrived in the wake of the early 2000s comic book movie boom, positioning itself as a grittier, R-rated alternative to the more polished superhero fare of its time. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, the film leaned into pulpy crime thriller territory rather than spectacle, drawing on a cast that included John Travolta and Rebecca Romijn. It has since built a following among fans who favor its harder edge and practical, street level approach to the vigilante genre.
This cell centers on Joan, a supporting figure in Castle's orbit whose presence in the story ties to the found family of neighbors surrounding him during his campaign against the men who destroyed his life. The moment named here, a confrontation involving Spacker and Joan with a knife, points to the tension and danger woven through those quieter character scenes. For collectors, cells like this preserve a beat of interpersonal conflict rather than action set pieces, offering a physical fragment of the film's grittier, character driven undercurrent.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of The Punisher (2004)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-amber tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image appears stable with no obvious fading or red shift
Projection history
Fine longitudinal scratch lines are visible across the frames, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of The Punisher (2004)
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive print stock, and amber-tinted base are all 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 000064429
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
