Exclusive: Chicagoan Captures ‘The Dark Knight’ Video of Joker’s Semi Flip

At 11:53 p.m. on Thursday, a reader submitted to me an excellent “The Dark Knight” video clip that clearly shows the Joker’s semi truck flip, which was scooped on HollywoodChicago.com on July 24.

Click here to download the full video clip.
It’s said this is the first time this has ever been done on film. I’m being informed that the stunt is one of the largest in “The Dark Knight”. This post is an exclusive.

Here’s the scooper’s story and details about this first-time stunt.

I work for an investment bank in downtown Chicago. I had a great view of the filming action [on July 26], which was the Joker’s semi being flipped end over end.

Heath Ledger was on hand in full makeup – but not full wardrobe – and there were a ton of people working on the set. My view was much better than even Chris Nolan’s and I was able to get this video and pictures.

If you look beneath the truck in the pictures, you will see a black piston and then “teeth” on the front grill. The piston is what created the force to send the truck over and the teeth were used to dig into the asphalt to help flip it over.

The picture of the white helicopter shell is a prop. Apparently they blew up a helicopter [on the night of July 25] and did it again [on the night of July 26].

The helicopter was the starting point for the Joker’s semi. It was on fire when I left work after they flipped the truck.

As I was walking to the bus, I saw just the cab of the Joker’s truck with a bullet hole-filled windshield. It was attached to a tow truck rigged with lights and possible cameras.

1:14 a.m. update: These are the photos submitted to me from the same reader.

11:46 a.m. update: After I first posted video of this truck flip at 12:22 a.m. on July 27, FOX Chicago posted a video of the sequence from a different vantage point.

Consistent with how I’ve been describing the stunt on HollywoodChicago.com, they included this text:

[On the night of July 26,] crews did their biggest and most elaborate stunt yet as part of [“The Dark Knight”] being filmed now in Chicago. Keep watching after to see more behind-the-scenes footage.

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