The Punisher (1989)

Director:

Mark Goldblatt

Writer (WGA):

Boaz Yakin (written by)

Release Date:

5 October 1989 (West Germany)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

If society won't punish the guilty, he will.

Plot:

When Frank Castle's family is murdered by criminals, he wages war on crime as a vigilante assassin known only as the Punisher.

Plot Keywords:

Vigilante | Murder | Japanese | Yakuza | Marvel Comics

Cast

Dolph Lundgren	...	Frank Castle
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Jake Berkowitz
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Gianni Franco (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Kim Miyori	...	Lady Tanaka
Bryan Marshall	...	Dino Moretti
Nancy Everhard	...	Sam Leary
Barry Otto	...	Shake
Brian Rooney	...	Tommy Franco
Zoshka Mizak	...	Tanaka's Daughter
Kenji Yamaki	...	Sato
Hirofumi Kanayama	...	Tomio
Larry McCormick	...	TV Newsreader
Todd Boyce	...	Terrone
Lani John Tupu	...	Laccone (as Larney Tupu)
John Negroponte	...	Musso
Noga Bernstein	...	Ginny
Emma Soloman	...	Ginny's Girlfriend
Courtney Keiler	...	Sophia
Emily Nicol	...	Cathy
Cathy Stirk	...	Catarina
Dominic Baudish	...	Dominic
Robert Fraser	...	Robert
James Klein	...	Nicholas
Fotis Pelekis	...	Mario
Christian Manon	...	French Leader
Colin Leong	...	Cutter Captain
Brian McDermott	...	O'Banion
May Lloyd	...	Julie Castle
Holly Rogers	...	Felice Castle
Brooke Anderson	...	Annie Castle
Lois Larimore	...	Nanny
Harry Weiss	...	Maitre D'
John Samaha	...	Elevator Repairman
Robert Simper	...	Danny
Johnny Raaen	...	Joey
Lawrence Woodward	...	Mickey
Tom Coltraine	...	Peeing Man
Donal Gibson	...	Bill
David Arnett	...	Joe
Brett Williams	...	Tim
Al Gockimen	...	Hood
Colin Handley	...	Mafia Man
Isao Hirata	...	Ito
Ken Wayne	...	Bartender
David Morris	...	Man in Bar
Richard Carter	...	Cop (as Ric Carter)
Char Fontane	...	Laurie Silver
Aku Kadogo	...	Reporter
Steve Kuhn	...	Reporter
Roslyn Gentle	...	Reporter
Maurice Brimo	...	Reporter
Joanna Lambert	...	Reporter
Arthur Sherman	...	Drunk
Chris Hession	...	Bus Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alistair Dean	...	Frank's Son (uncredited)
Jade Gatt	...	Young Tommy (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Goldblatt

Writing credits (WGA)
Boaz Yakin		(written by)

Produced by
Su Armstrong	....	co-producer
Robert Guralnick	....	executive producer
Robert Mark Kamen	....	producer
Simon Heath	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Mace Neufeld	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dennis Dreith

Cinematography by
Ian Baker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tim Wellburn

Casting by
Melissa Skoff

Production Design by
Norma Moriceau

Art Direction by
Peta Lawson

Costume Design by
Norma Moriceau

Makeup Department
Brian Bertram	....	prosthetics makeup artist
Cassie Hanlon	....	makeup artist
Sherry Hubbard	....	makeup artist
Vivien Mepham	....	makeup supervisor
Joan Petch	....	hair stylist
Jan Zeigenbein	....	hair stylist (as Jan 'Ziggy' Zeigenbein)

Production Management
Chris Jones	....	unit manager
Randy Levinson	....	executive in charge of production
Tony Winley	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Chambers	....	assistant director
Naomi Enfield	....	assistant director
Michael Faranda	....	assistant director
Philip Hearnshaw	....	first assistant director
Brett Popplewell	....	assistant director
John Titley	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Alky Avramides	....	draughtsperson
Tony Bardolph	....	lead man
Martin Bruveris	....	set finisher
Andrew Chauvel	....	lead man
Cloudia	....	art department liaison: US (as Cloudia Rebar)
Chantal Cordy	....	leatherworker (as Chantal Cordey)
Martin Croydon	....	carpenter
Judy Ditter	....	art department manager
David Duffin	....	set finisher
Laurie Faen	....	assistant art director
Gillian Farrow	....	construction runner
Roland Fitzhum	....	carpenter
Jasper Galloway	....	art department attachment
Andrew Gardiner	....	carpenter
Murray Gosson	....	assistant stand-by props
Yvonne Gudgeon	....	carpenter
Judy Harvey	....	draughtsperson
Kim Hilder	....	assistant production designer
Steve Huxtable	....	carpenter
Eugene Intas	....	props buyer
Des Keena	....	set finisher
Steve Lyons	....	storyboard artist
Guy Miller	....	stand-by carpenter
John Murch	....	model maker
John Osmond	....	stand-by props
Bronwyn Parry	....	carpenter
Ray Pedler	....	scenic artist
Will Soeterboek	....	props buyer
Geoff Staker	....	carpenter
Pete von Sholly	....	storyboard artist (as Peter von Sholly)
Peter Warman	....	labor
David Watson	....	assistant stand-by props
Philip Worth	....	construction manager (as Phil Worth)

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Bietz	....	sound editor (as Patrick M. Bietz)
G.L. Bradley	....	assistant sound editor
Tom E. Dahl	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stacey A. Foiles	....	sound editor (as Stacey Foiles)
Donna Heslin	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Heslin	....	sound editor
Chris Ingram	....	sound editor
Donlee Jorgensen	....	sound editor (as Donlee Jurgensen)
Phil Keros	....	boom operator
David Lee	....	sound
Jean-Marc Lentretien	....	sound mixer
Jean-Marc Lentretien	....	sound re-recording mixer: French version
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Rodney Burke	....	special effects props buyer
Steve Courtley	....	special effects supervisor
Mont Fieguth	....	special effects (as Montie Fieguth)
Patrick Fitzgerald	....	special effects
Ray Fowler	....	atmospherics
Harry Gordon	....	special effects
Paul Gorrie	....	special effects props buyer
Albie Hastings	....	special effects props maker
Alan Maxwell	....	special effects
Chris Murray	....	special effects coordinator
Bridgette Oulsman	....	special effects
Phillip Parsonson	....	special effects
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor: titles
Conrad Rothmann	....	special effects
Walter Van Veenendaal	....	special effects props maker

Stunts
Russell Allen	....	stunts
Chris Anderson	....	stunt coordinator
Chris Anderson	....	stunts
Jed Armstrong	....	stunts
Kerry Blakeman	....	stunts
Steve Brown	....	stunts
Cheuk-Fai Chan	....	stunts (as Chan Chuek Fai)
Spike Cherrie	....	stunt double: Castle
Sinn Chew	....	stunts
Chan Chuek Wan	....	stunts
Jade Clayton	....	stunts
Kerry Coleman	....	stunts
Tom Coltraine	....	stunts
Peter Culpan	....	stunts
Dar Davies	....	stunts
Mitch Deans	....	stunts
Roy Edmunds	....	stunts
Zev Eleftheriou	....	stunts
Brian Ellison	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Brian Ellison	....	stunts
Connie Gower	....	stunts
Zenda Graves	....	stunts
Hide Hirayama	....	stunts
Leigh Hodgkinson	....	stunts
Tokujun Ishi	....	stunts
Ray Jones	....	stunts
Mamora Kaneko	....	stunts
Jay Uk Kang	....	stunts
John Kingston	....	stunts
Claude Lambert	....	stunts
Bernard Ledger	....	stunts (as Bernie Ledger)
Ho Win Lee	....	stunts
Corinne Le Gall	....	stunt double: Tanaka´s Daughter (as Corrine Le Gall)
Paul Lennon	....	stunts
Ian Lind	....	stunts
Rocky McDonald	....	stunts
Phil Meacham	....	stunts
Robin Menzies	....	stunts
George Novak	....	stunts
Shun Ogawa	....	stunts
Joe Pampanella	....	stunt performer
Joe Pampanella	....	stunts
Kim Penn	....	stunt double: Tanaka´s Daughter (as Kim Maree Penn)
Wayne Pleace	....	stunts
Johnny Raaen	....	stunts
Arch Roberts	....	stunts
Kazuo Saito	....	stunts
Ian Schrivers	....	stunts
Joe Schwarger	....	stunts
Robert Simper	....	stunts
Greg Skipper	....	stunts
Koh Beng Soon	....	stunts
Iain Strutt	....	stunts
Greg Stuart	....	stunts
Aki Tannaka	....	stunts
Don Vaughn	....	stunts
Shirley Wallace	....	stunts
Lawrence Woodward	....	stunts
Tony Yuen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ian Bird	....	grip
Ray Brown	....	key grip
Robbie Burr	....	electrician (as Robert Burr)
Alan Dunstan	....	best boy
Reg Garside	....	gaffer
Warren Grieef	....	grip
Geoffrey Hall	....	Steadicam focus puller (as Geoff Hall)
Gary Hill	....	electrician
Ian Jones	....	Steadicam operator
Ian Jones	....	camera operator
Danny Lockett	....	grip
Patrick O'Farrell	....	electrician
Jim Sheldon	....	still photographer
Lewis Sparks	....	electrician
Kriv Stenders	....	camera department attachment
Robert Verkerk	....	electrician
Aron Walker	....	grip
Peter White	....	clapper loader

Casting Department
Suzanne Johannesen	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robyn Bunting	....	assistant stand-by wardrobe
Julie Frankham	....	wardrobe assistant
Gary Jones	....	assistant stand-by wardrobe
Fiona Nicolls	....	stand-by wardrobe (as Fiona Nicholls)
Kate Ross	....	wardrobe assistant
Paula Ryan	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Jeanine Chiavlo	....	first assistant editor: Australia (as Jeanine Chialvo)
Stephanie Flack	....	second assistant editor: Australia
Kris Garfield	....	second assistant editor: USA
Spencer Gross	....	additional editor
Dan Patsch	....	color timer
Neil Silver	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Dennis Dreith	....	conductor
Dennis Dreith	....	orchestrator
Bill House	....	music coordinator
Daniel J. Johnson	....	music editor (as Dan Johnson)
Steve Livingston	....	music editor

Other crew
Catherine Bishop	....	production coordinator (as Catherine 'Tatts' Bishop)
Elaine Boyd	....	accounting assistant
Jane Corden	....	production accountant
Mel Dykes	....	workroom supervisor
Kerry Fetzer	....	caterer
Brian Fitkin	....	martial arts trainer: Mr. Lundgren
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Marianne Flynn	....	accounting assistant
John Fox	....	armorer
Diana Freeman	....	assistant: Mark Goldblatt
Ian Freeman	....	unit assistant
Geoffrey Giuffre	....	unit assistant
Alison Goodwin	....	script supervisor
Denise Goulston	....	assistant to producers
Otis B. Harper	....	assistant: Louis Gossett Jr. (as Otis Harper)
Maude Heath	....	location manager
Christiaan Hoppenbrouwers	....	location manager
Dennis Hulm	....	unit assistant
Susan Jarvis	....	production secretary
Stan Lee	....	executive consultant
David Malacari	....	location manager
John Martin	....	production assistant
Justin Pierce	....	production executive
Nancy Restuccia	....	assistant: Mark Goldblatt
Brad Stephens	....	publicist
Louis Walencewicz	....	production accountant: USA

Production Companies

• New World Pictures (Australia)
• New World Pictures

Distributors

• Capital Cinéma (1989) (France) (theatrical)
• Castle Premier Releasing (1990) (UK) (theatrical)
• Herald Film Company (1990) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Highlight Film (1989) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• José Frade Producciones Cinematográficas S.A. (1990) (Spain) (theatrical)
• New World International (1989) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Nippon Herald Films (1990) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment (DVD)
• Delta Vidéo Diffusion (1990) (France) (VHS)
• Delta Vidéo Diffusion (France) (laserdisc)
• Egmont Entertainment (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• International Video Entertainment (IVE) (1991) (USA) (video)
• New World Pictures (1989) (non-USA) (all media)
• Premiere Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• World Movies (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Marvel Comics  character
• Cameraquip Australia  camera equipment provided by
• Marvel Enterprises  copyright owner
• Perseverance Records  score album released by

Runtime:

89 min | Finland:76 min (heavily cut) (1990) (1995)

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Spain:18 | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1990) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1995) | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 (2006) (self applied) (film festival rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | USA:R (cut) (certificate #29751) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:R | France:-12 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:18 (cut) | West Germany:18 (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

New World Pictures (Australia)

Trivia:

The Police cars are Australian Valiants converted to left hand drive. There are 2 models shown, 1976 VK and 1977 CL.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the lights go off, some goons shoot at where two characters are standing, only to find them gone when the emergency lights come on. Not a single bullet hole is visible in the Japanese paper screen they were standing before, however.

Quotes:

The Punisher: I PUNISH THE GUILTY!
Drunk: And as a result the innocent must suffer?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The President's Man (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Planet of Love

USA

Ah It was 1989,and the Punisher never made it to US theaters.Its a shame too.Cause this is one hell of an action movie.

I know it is not the most faithful adaptation.But in casting and action its great.And thats where its strength lies.

Dolph Lundgren is frank Castle out to avenge the violent murders of his family.He is so good at it that he has tagged 100+ murders of the Franco crime family.However a new threat comes from the emerging Yakuza.In the end the Punisher is forced to join forces with the thugs he was killing to stop the yakuza.

The action here is lean and Very mean.It is pure Punisher-style.Fist-fights.Knife fights.Gun Fights.40 Ninjas getting cut down with machine-gun fire.Extremely violent mode is on here.

Acting-wise.Dolph is great as Frank.He was clearly the best choice at the time.He gives the right sense of quiet intensity at the right moments.

Louis Gosset Jr is Frank's Guilt ridden ex-partner.The scenes between the 2 are good.Gosset steals a few scenes as well.

Jerrone Krabbe is a good bad guy as Johnny franco the crime boss who partners with Frank to save his son.Class act.

Kim Myori as the Lady Yakuza commands the screen when she is on.She comes off very psycho-like.

Barry Otto is good as the Punisher's Drunken stoolie.

Now this is how the Punisher 04 should have been.Here there is no cat and mouse Bs that watered it down .Its simple.The trigger is pulled.The guilty are punished.This has the essence of the comics.

Its a shame Dolph never became the big star he should have been.

8/10