Trivia: Heath Ledger stopping after the first sequence of explosions at the hospital ends and the tinkering with the remote were actually improvised. The script originally saw Ledger going straight to the bus and NOT wait for the much bigger sequence of explosions. (Apparently the gap between the two sequences was a safety gap for the actor to get away).
Trivia: Several sequences in the film were filmed in the IMAX format, including the chase in Lower Wacker. During the chase, a car hit and damaged one of the IMAX cameras, leaving just three in existence. However, the scene was captured with another camera as well and was deemed impressive enough to make it into the final cut of the film.
Trivia: There was speculation that this film would receive a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. Although this didn't come to fruition, the Academy Awards the following year expanded its Best Picture field from five nominations to ten, allegedly in response to the backlash it received for snubbing the film.
Trivia: There were many unfortunate things that happened to the cast and crew of this film. Two people died, one was in a very bad car crash, and one was arrested. The Dark Knight is now on a list of "cursed" films.
Trivia: The Dark Knight made as much money in six days as Batman Begins did in its entire domestic run.
Trivia: Heath Ledger found inspiration for his portrayal of the Joker from Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, among other sources. Gary Oldman (who plays Commissioner Gordon in the film) played Vicious in the biopic Sid and Nancy.
Trivia: When the Joker crashes Bruce's party and threatens Rachel with the knife, it was the first time Maggie Gyllenhaal had seen Heath Ledger in his make-up. When the Joker cups her face in his hand and says "look at me", that was improvised by Ledger because Gyllenhaal was so frightened by his appearance that she was trying to look away.
Trivia: During the car chase, just before diverting underground, the swat van passes the burning fire truck. In front of it lays what appears to be debris from the vehicle, but pausing during the scene it becomes clear the fire truck is only on fire, not blown up. The 'debris' on fire appears to be burning fabric, i.e. the firefighters.
Trivia: This film marks the first time an actor in a modern Batman suit could actually turn his head (the lycra 60s version notwithstanding). From the 1989 Batman through to Batman Begins, all the costumes had the same limitation - the actor's head was basically immobile.
Trivia: This is the first Batman film in which Bruce Wayne does not appear in a tuxedo.
Suggested correction: He does; he is wearing one during the restaurant scene.
No, he's wearing a regular suit in the restaurant scene, if you're talking about the one where he and his ballerina date sit down with Harvey and Rachel.
I don't know what you think the definition of a tuxedo is, but it's equivalent to a dress suit or dinner suit (or even black tie). So basically, dress shirt, dress shoes, trousers and a jacket.
There's a distinction between a tuxedo and a suit, and what Bruce is wearing isn't a tuxedo. There's also a difference between a dress suit and a dinner suit, also known as a black tie, so dress suits and dinner suits are not equivalent. What British refer to as a dinner suit is what Americans refer to as a tuxedo. Wearing a suit at dinner or a black tie doesn't make it a tuxedo.
So what makes a tuxedo?
The type of jacket and pants (or trousers), and often the shirt, shoes and accessories. Satin on the jacket lapel and side of the pants and pants without belt loops. Usually a tux comes with a pleated shirt with studs instead of buttons. Often you wear a bow tie and cummerbund, but it's not necessary. A casual or dress suit is made out of all the same material with acrylic and uncovered buttons.
Trivia: If you look carefully, you can see the Joker wearing a Harvey Dent campaign badge when he is dressed as a nurse in the hospital.
Trivia: Katie Holmes turned down reprising her role for this sequel to star in the box office flop Mad Money alongside Diane Keaton, Ted Danson, and Queen Latifah.
Trivia: During the big chase scene, the worried SWAT team member with all the one-liners was played by character actor Nicky Katt. Katt also had a small role in the film "Batman and Robin," making him one of only two people to appear in both the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman series, and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The other person is American senator Patrick Leahy, a massive Batman fan, who has filmed small blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos for five different Batman films.
Trivia: A subtle but very significant tidbit when the Joker is tempting Harvey Dent into shooting him at the hospital: if you look closely at how he (the Joker) has his hands around the gun you'll notice he's actually holding the hammer back, meaning even if Harvey had tried to kill him the gun wouldn't be able to fire. Might first seem a bit hypocritical of the one who talks a great deal about chaos and the fairness thereof, but it actually ties nicely in with the Joker's whole character: he's showing Dent that choice is an illusion, because in this case there isn't one.
Suggested correction: No, the Joker definitely wanted Harvey to kill him. That would have completed his plan in knocking Harvey all the way down and making his fall to villainy complete. Even when his finger is on the hammer, it is more resting on it than it is preventing the hammer from firing. At one point, he even takes his finger off the hammer to point at Harvey.
