His more recent work tends to favor an interview-style format, though the director is rarely seen or heard during the completed session; instead, Morris wants viewers to see what he might see. To achieve the most convincing first person effect possible, Morris invented the "Interrotron", a unique camera hybrid that functions much like a Teleprompter. Interview subjects look front and center, while a live video feed of Morris, seated off-camera, is displayed in direct proximity with the lens (a slightly more detailed explanation is provided here). The resulting "illusion" gives viewers a virtual first person point of view---and with the exception of Morris' occasional questions and comments from the background, it's as if the viewer is actually the one doing the interviewing.

The most literal use of this technique came to pass during First Person (2000), Morris' short-lived but fascinating television series that makes Ripley's Believe it or Not! look downright believable. Each 24-minute episode focuses on one particular person (though a few later episodes are double-length), while viewers are treated to a full-on confessional from some of Earth's most unusual human beings. Still, First Person is anything but a "freak show": more often than not, it's a chance to hear more than one side of a really interesting story.

From top to bottom, the 19 episodes included here are all worth watching. You won't always like the subjects---in some cases, the wackos we hear from should be locked in jail or under the jail---but that's what makes First Person even more engaging. Still, the show's visual style may test the patience of viewers accustomed to quick editing: the bulk of what's seen is usually limited to unflinching close-ups, interrupted by the occasional stock footage or news clip (not a criticism, just a precaution). Even so, First Person is 100% essential viewing for anyone interested in unique stories and finely crafted documentaries.

Episode 1, "Mr. Debt" – Meet Andrew Capoccia, a modern-day Robin Hood (OK, he's actually a lawyer) who takes on credit card companies and their ridiculous high-interest policies. If you've ever had your eye on a 50" Plasma TV and didn't have the cash to back it up, this one's for you.

Episode 2, "Eyeball to Eyeball" – Switching gears dramatically, this episode introduces us to Clyde Roper, a fisherman-turned-zoologist who's bent on being the first person to see a giant squid with his own eyes.

Episode 3, "Stairway to Heaven" – Sit down and enjoy a chat with Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who claims to understand livestock. She's also designed one-third of the slaughterhouses in America, utilizing a series of optical illusions to lure cattle to their doom. CAUTION: Playing this episode backwards may cause adverse effects, including mad cow disease.

Episode 4, "The Killer Inside Me" (above) – Perhaps the first truly disturbing episode of the bunch, this session introduces us to Sondra London, a woman with a strange tendency to fall for serial killers. Ironically, it seems that both parties habitually let their emotions triumph over pesky moral codes.

Episode 5, "I Dismember Mama" – Meet Saul Kent, a pioneer in the field of cryogenic technology. He provides a few interesting arguments in favor of the science, including a compelling story about the time he froze his mother's head either before or after her death. You know, just in case.

Episode 6, "The Stalker" – It's tough to be Bill Kinsley. Once an up-and-coming postal worker on his way to becoming Postmaster General, his life was torn apart during a terrifying encounter with a postal postal worker. He now lives in total fear, convinced that someone's out to get him.

Episode 7, "The Parrot" – This unique murder mystery centers around a dead woman and a verbose African parrot named Max. It turns out that the wrong man could be awaiting the gas chamber, but Max holds a big piece of the puzzle. The justice system can't be reversed by a parrot…or can it?

Disc Two (Season 1, Episodes #8-11)

Episode 8, "Smiling in a Jar" – We're introduced to Gretchen Worden, the director of Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. We're also given a fun-filled look at their collection of rare medical deformities and curiosities, lovingly preserved in jars. A great companion piece to The Elephant Man.

Episode 9, "In the Kingdom of the Unabomber" – Here we meet Gay Greenberg, a former psychotherapist-turned-struggling-author who decided to seek professional writing help from some guy named Ted Kaczynski. Obviously, Greenberg didn't get much in the way of practical advice.

Episode 10, "The Little Gray Man" (above) – We're introduced to Antonio Mendez, a former secret agent for the CIA who lived a double life for nearly 25 years. His career required Mendez to assume a variety of identities, though it also meant he had to appear dull and boring to everyone else.

Episode 11, "You're Soaking in It" (Season 1 Finale) – Joan Dougherty had the unfortunate task of cleaning up after her son's suicide, so she put her experience to good use by starting a service to clean violent crime scenes---often times when the situation repulsed the strongest of stomachs.

Disc Three (Season 2, Episodes #12-19)

Episode 12, "Mr. Personality" – Meet Michael Stone, a "personality expert" who gradually developed a detailed system to map out the human psyche. He claims he can accurately identify criminals through their traits, though Stone's obsession may have sacrificed his own personality in the process.

Episode 13, "The Only Truth" – Like Episode 4, this segment offers a disturbing portrait of a truly twisted individual. Here we meet Murray Richman, a lawyer who comes to the aid of thugs and murderers, often proving their "innocence" in court. You'll hate the guy, but you'll still listen.

Episode 14, "Harvesting Me" – Viewers are treated to a chat with Josh Harris, a Millennium disaster fanatic who's sure that Gilligan (of Gilligan's Island) is Our Lord and Savior. FYI: This episode aired on 8/7/01, back when the whole Y2K thing wasn't like, sooo five minutes ago.

Episodes 15 & 16, "One in a Million Trillion" (Parts 1 & 2, above) – Rick Rosner is a perfectionist times infinity. He's completed high school four times using fake IDs and disguises, and even appeared on the hit show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (remember that?). Here's the problem: Rosner lost out on a trick question, so he's obsessed with the possibility of correcting his fatal mistake. Also, if Coach would've put him in The Big Game back in '82, they'd have been State Champions.

Episodes 17 & 18, "Leaving the Earth" (Parts 1 & 2) – This gripping two-part interview with Denny Fitch recounts his brush with heroism when he helped to land a 300-passenger plane during an engine failure (thanks to him, nearly 2/3 of the passengers survived). Despite the lives he saved, Denny is haunted by the 111 deaths of those onboard and the possibility of "the perfect landing".

Episode 19, "The Smartest Man in the World" – Meet Chris Langan: Body builder, bouncer…and, well, read the title. His IQ is supposedly at or near 200, though many traditional tests are "below his level". Lucky for us mortals, he's on hand to share about universal truths, God and the future.

NOTE: A 20th episode entitled "Tanya Corrin" (described as being related to Episode 14) is mentioned in several online indexes but does not appear here. It's possible that this is simply an unfinished or unrelated segment, but I'd love to hear from anyone with more information.

Overall, a simply fantastic batch of episodes---the only real bad news is that the series didn't stick around longer. While most fans of this show should be familiar with Errol Morris' other work, those who haven't seen films like The Fog of War (which, incidentally, evolved from a proposed episode of First Person) are encouraged to check them out immediately. In the meantime, this 3-disc set should provide a nice chunk of entertainment for any fan of fascinating TV---it may go down a little easier in small doses, but Morris' skilled craftsmanship makes First Person hard to ignore. It's a shame that MGM didn't go all out with this 3-disc set, but these 19 episodes still do a good job of standing on their own two feet.

Presented in its original 1.66:1 widescreen aspect ratio, the only disappointment of First Person is a curious lack of anamorphic enhancement (though many studios choose not to enhance this aspect ratio). Otherwise, these modern interviews look clean and clear, with the only obvious exceptions being the older material (stock footage, news clips, etc). Digital problems aren't much of an issue here, even with the picture zoomed to fill the entire 16:9 viewing area. The English 2.0 Stereo presentation also gets the job done, offering a clear atmosphere and easily understood dialogue. Subtitles are not offering during the episodes, though Closed Captioning is available if your TV supports it.

If you're a fan of Errol Morris, you'll certainly want to pick this set up; if not, you're about to be. First Person is one of the most interesting and overlooked shows of the past decade, easily worth hunting down for any lover of the strange, curious, and unbelievable. While MGM's treatment doesn't exactly cover all the bases, it provides the complete two-season series in a reasonably priced 3-disc set. In today's TV-on-DVD market flooded with average shows and classic ones chopped up for syndication, the complete run of any excellent series is a welcome breath of fresh air. Recommended.