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 brought Marvel's most unrepentant vigilante to the screen in an era before the studio-dominated superhero landscape took shape. Thomas Jane starred as Frank Castle, a man remade by grief into an instrument of retribution, and the film leaned into hard-edged crime thriller territory rather than costumed spectacle. It found its audience among collectors and fans who valued its pulpy, unglamorous take on vengeance, cementing a cult following that has only grown as the character has been reinterpreted in later years.
This cell centers on a moment where Frank Castle stands opposite Dave and John Saint, two of the film's recurring supporting players caught in the orbit of his campaign against the men who destroyed his family. A confrontation scene like this holds appeal for collectors because it captures the tension of Castle's methodical pursuit, a defining rhythm of the character across his printed and screen history, placing minor players directly in the path of his design.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single-track analog stripe
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers
Base & colour
Base shows a slight cyan-green tint consistent with modern safety stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate
Picture
Positive color 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 single variable-area optical track, cyan-tinted safety base, and color dye saturation are all consistent with a 2004-era theatrical release print
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 000064434
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
