Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Lionsgate's 2004 reboot of The Punisher arrived as part of a wave of early-2000s attempts to translate Marvel properties into harder-edged, R-rated action cinema, distinct from the more polished superhero fare that would soon dominate the genre. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and starring Thomas Jane, the film leaned into revenge-thriller conventions rather than costumed spectacle, drawing on a cult comic readership and a small but devoted fan base that valued its grim tone over box office performance. It remains a notable entry in the pre-MCU landscape of Marvel adaptations.
This cell isolates Joan, a supporting figure within the Punisher's orbit whose presence ties into the film's themes of ordinary bystanders caught in Frank Castle's war. A window setting suggests a quieter interval, the kind of composed pause studios often preserved on 35mm for collectors seeking character-driven frames rather than action beats. Such cells appeal to those building a fuller picture of the film's cast beyond its central avenger, offering a tangible artifact of a peripheral but memorable role.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Gauge
35mm; the strip holds three frames, each showing four perforations on the visible top edge and four on the visible bottom edge.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly formed with rounded corners.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the perforations, appearing as a single bilateral variable-area track with a visible audio waveform pattern.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; the dye image reads as colour positive with no obvious red shift or significant fading visible.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent 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 theatrical release print of a 2004 feature film.
Era check
The bilateral variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive image on what appears to be a safety base, and four-perforation 35mm format are all consistent with a standard theatrical release print from 2004.
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 000064448
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
