Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
The Punisher arrived in 2004 courtesy of Lionsgate, a mid-budget attempt to revive Marvel's brutal vigilante for the big screen ahead of the character's later cinematic incarnations. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and starring Thomas Jane in the title role, the film leaned into hard-edged crime drama rather than spectacle, positioning itself as a gritty counterpoint to the era's brighter superhero fare. It found its audience through home video and cult appreciation rather than box office dominance, and remains a touchstone for fans who prize its willingness to embrace pulp violence over polish.
This cell centers on Howard Saint, the crime boss whose empire and family losses drive the film's revenge plot into motion. As the primary antagonist, played by John Travolta, Saint anchors the collector's interest in the villain's arc rather than the hero's, offering a piece tied to the engine of the story's conflict. A single-character cell like this speaks to the character study itself, isolating Saint as a figure of power and consequence within the Punisher's world, distinct from any surrounding cast or setting.
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 with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation area beside it, consistent with a dual-format optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight warm-amber tint typical of processed color print stock; the dye image appears stable with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light longitudinal scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive color image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Era check
The combination of a Dolby Digital optical data strip alongside a variable-area optical track is consistent with a mid-2000s theatrical release print, 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 000064437
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
