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, The Punisher arrived as an attempt to relaunch the Marvel character for a new generation of moviegoers, following the earlier Dolph Lundgren version and preceding the later Thomas Jane sequel and the Ray Stevenson reboot. Thomas Jane starred as Frank Castle, with John Travolta as the antagonist and a supporting cast that included Ben Foster as the character Spacker Dave, a neighbor drawn into Castle's orbit. The film leaned into pulpy, vigilante-driven action and found its audience among comic book devotees who appreciated its harder edge compared to the more polished superhero pictures of the period.
This cell preserves a moment built around Spacker, the eccentric neighbor whose presence brings a strand of dark humor and unexpected loyalty into Castle's story. A confrontation involving this character carries weight for collectors who track Ben Foster's early genre work and the ensemble dynamics that gave the film its cult standing beyond the central revenge plot. As a 35mm frame drawn directly from the source print, it stands as a physical artifact of the production itself, distinct from promotional material, offering a tangible link to a specific narrative beat rather than a general publicity image.
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 throughout the strip.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-bilateral waveform pattern; 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 slight cyan-teal tint consistent with a colour print stock; the dye image appears warm with strong saturation and no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible in this capture.
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 combined Dolby Digital pixel-block track alongside a variable-area optical track is consistent with a 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 000064433
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
