Watch First Person

Name: First Person
Genre: Documentary & Biography
Released: 2015-03-11
Cast: Errol Morris

Not Rated
2015
1 Season
8.7 (375)

First Person was an American documentary television series that aired on the Bravo network from 2000 to 2001. The show was created by Errol Morris, a well-known documentary filmmaker, and consisted of a collection of short films that explored the lives of ordinary people.

Each episode of First Person focused on a different individual or group of individuals, and their unique experiences and perspectives. The show was renowned for its intimate and candid interviews, which allowed the subjects to tell their stories in their own words.

One of the hallmarks of First Person was Morris' signature style of interviewing, which often involved him asking questions from off-camera. This created a sense of intimacy and immediacy in the interviews, allowing the subjects to speak honestly and openly.

The show covered a broad range of topics and themes, from politics and social issues to personal stories of triumph and tragedy. Among the most memorable episodes was "Stairway to Heaven," which featured an interview with Fred A. Leuchter Jr., a self-proclaimed execution expert who designed gas chambers for execution. The episode caused controversy due to Leuchter's controversial views on the Holocaust.

Another episode that received critical acclaim was "The Parrot," which told the story of a talking parrot named Alex who was taught to communicate using simple English phrases. The episode explored the possibility of animals having higher cognitive abilities than previously believed.

In addition to featuring interviews with everyday people, First Person also featured interviews with well-known figures, including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and former Secretary of State Warren Christopher. These interviews were notable for their candid and revealing nature, with the subjects opening up to Morris in ways that they might not have done in other settings.

Another unique aspect of First Person was its use of animation and reenactments. These visual elements were used to create a more immersive viewing experience, and to illustrate some of the more abstract concepts discussed in the interviews.

The show was critically acclaimed and garnered several award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Nonfiction Series in 2001. First Person was praised for its innovative approach to documentary filmmaking, its intimate and revealing interviews, and its ability to tackle complex themes and ideas in a compelling and accessible way.

Despite its critical success, First Person was only on air for two seasons. The show was cancelled in 2001, with Morris later stating that he felt the program had been ahead of its time.

In conclusion, First Person was a groundbreaking documentary series that explored the lives and perspectives of ordinary people in a candid and intimate way. It was known for its innovative approach to documentary filmmaking, its use of animation and reenactments, and its ability to tackle complex themes and ideas with clarity and accessibility. Despite its relatively short run, the show left a lasting impact on the genre, and remains a beloved and highly regarded program among fans of documentary television.

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Seasons

17. First Person episode 17

March 11, 2015

CSI fans and folks with a cast-iron stomach are the ideal audience for this gleefully gruesome episode of Errol Morris' FIRST PERSON, featuring crime-scene cleaning queen Joann Dougherty. This normal-looking lady could be your mom, but when Joann goes to work in the morning she's picking up body parts, scrubbing down bloodstained ceilings, and fighting off roaches, maggots, and her own gag reflex. Yet Morris skillfully looks past the gory details to expose the sad tale of grief that makes Joann's work more than just a lucrative profession. One of our very favorite episodes_4-18 of the series.

16. First Person episode 16

March 11, 2015

As the debate over the role that guns and mental health play in mass killings continues to rage, this short film by Errol Morris explores a famous early 90's shooting spree that could have easily been torn from today's headlines. Postal supervisor Bill Kinsley wisely fired Thomas McIlvane over his untamed temper and took steps to keep his other employees safe, but they weren't enough to stop his bloody massacre. In the weeks that followed the shooting, Kinsley's life became a nightmare as the victims' families and the media blamed him for the terrible tragedy. A gripping exploration of anger, violence, and revenge.

15. First Person episode 15

March 11, 2015

In this thoroughly bizarre episode of FIRST PERSON, filmmaker Errol Morris looks at an early 90's murder case, a true-life version of a storyline from David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS. When Jane Gill is murdered in the middle of the night, all eyes are on business partner Gary Rasp, who strangely had taken multiple life insurance policies out on her. But if Rasp is guilty, why does the talking parrot found at the scene of the crime keep shouting, "Richard! No! No!" Morris has fun with the pulpy cast of characters, while revisiting themes of truth and justice found in THE THIN BLUE LINE.

14. First Person episode 14

March 11, 2015

Errol Morris is a master at confronting morally-challenged subjects about their bad behavior, and this morbidly funny episode of FIRST PERSON featuring Mafia defense attorney Murray Richman is no exception. Richman is a LAW & ORDER character come to life: ruthless, duplicitous, and determined to get his murderous mobster clients off, no matter how guilty they may be. Is it all just a game to Richman? Or is there something from his past that explains his behavior? Whatever the answer may be, leave it to Errol Morris to locate the humanity in an unscrupulous man.

13. First Person episode 13

March 11, 2015

In this tense episode of FIRST PERSON, filmmaker Errol Morris sits down with Antonio "Tony" Mendez, the former CIA operative whose most famous mission - freeing six Americans hiding in Iran - was turned into Ben Affleck's 2013 Academy Award-winning Best Picture ARGO. You'll learn how this legendary spy got his start in disguise thanks to his Mom's eyebrow-plucking skills, along with the other extreme qualities an agent needs in order to infiltrate foreign governments and achieve heroic feats of espionage. Think you've got what it takes to be the next 007? Watch and learn.

12. First Person episode 12

March 11, 2015

This downright chilling episode of Errol Morris' FIRST PERSON features Sondra London, the woman who famously dated two convicted serial killers. Though she was repelled by her first boyfriend's proclamations that he would teach the loose ladies in his life a lesson,and when it turned out years later that he'd actually done just that, Sondra still found herself renewing the relationship. Eventually that went sour and another murderous inmate became the next love of her life. Why would a sane woman do this? Could it have something to do with childhood fantasies of being swept off her feet by the Grim Reaper?

11. First Person episode 11

March 11, 2015

Whether you're familiar with pioneering animal behavior scientist Temple Grandin from her writings or from the award-winning HBO movie starring Claire Danes, you'll get a personal introduction to the woman herself in this fascinating episode of Errol Morris' docu-series FIRST PERSON. After developing unique devices and techniques for calming herself during autistic episodes_4-18, Grandin applied her skills to developing kinder, more humane ways to slaughter animals, and succeeded. Morris' signature combative style is nowhere to be found here, just a moving conversation with an unusual yet courageous woman he clearly admires.

10. First Person episode 10

March 11, 2015

Goths and horror fans: get ready to enter Philadelphia's MÃ¼tter Museum, a creepy collection of the world's most famously odd dead people and medical curiosities. Museum director Gretchen Worden leads the tour, telling the bizarre true stories such as those of famed Siamese twins Chang and Eng, and even explains how the thorax of presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth wound up in her care. While this episode's not for the easily shocked, behind Worden's dark humor is a genuine commitment to the idea that science, medicine, and the rest of us can learn a great deal from appreciating those who are different.

9. First Person episode 9

March 11, 2015

In this unsettling episode of FIRST PERSON, Errol Morris interviews Chris Langan, who holds the highest recorded IQ on the planet, but for some reason works as a bouncer in a bar. As Langan explains how people's jealousies kept him from success, you may start to suspect something darker behind his difficulties in life. Sure enough, when Morris presses Langan for answers to some of the world's most pressing problems, his solutions reveal a disturbing look on humanity. Could the smartest man in the world just be too smart for his own good? Watch and learn.

8. First Person episode 8

March 11, 2015

In this deeply profound episode of FIRST PERSON, Errol Morris tells the stranger than fiction story of one man who tried to travel back in time to fix past mistakes, but then lost his way in the present. High-school nerd Richard Rosner began re-enrolling at nearby schools after graduation in a GROUNDHOG DAY-like attempt to experience the fun he felt he deserved. Then, years later, Rosner became obsessed with proving his elimination on a popular game show was a mistake. This Sisyphean-story of frustration and blind persistence is shot through with extraordinary compassion for the way regret and obsession can ravage a life. Essential Errol.

7. First Person episode 7

March 11, 2015

In this chilling episode of FIRST PERSON, Errol Morris finally meets someone who loves true crime tales more than he does: criminal psychologist Michael Stone, who studied thousands of horrible cases and developed an intricate rating system to measure the sociopathic qualities of a given subject. What separates us from psychopaths, serial killers and depraved monsters? Where would you fall on a scale of naughty to pure evil? The answers to these questions and more await you, that is if you dare to take Stone's test...

6. First Person episode 6

March 11, 2015

Long before Occupy Wall Street turned our attentions toward the dirty business practices of credit card companies, debt lawyer Andrew Cappocia was fighting back one case at a time. Yet in a twist Morris must have loved, Cappocia himself was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing from his clients shortly after this episode was filmed.

5. First Person episode 5

March 11, 2015

The 296 passengers and crew of a flight leaving Denver fastened their seatbelts in the summer of 1989, yet none was prepared for the massive mid-air explosion that took out the aircraft's flight control system. Fortunately, one man was prepared to land the plane. Climb aboard with Denny Fitch - pilot, survivor and hero - as he relives each intense moment of the ill-fated flight.

4. 0

March 11, 2015

Gary Greenberg was an aspiring writer who began writing prison pen pal letters to "Unabomber" Ted Kacynski in the hope of landing a big book deal. Morris' interview with Greenberg offers a dark look inside the mind of America's most wanted domestic terrorist and the man who embarked on a strange, almost romantic courtship to win him over.

3. I Dismember Mama

March 15, 2000

A conversation with Saul Kent. He is one of the pioneers in the field of cryonics, that being the freezing of persons for resuscitation in the future. He tells about his thoughts around life extension, and also about his personal experiences about this.

2. Harvesting Me

March 11, 2015

The new millenium came without disaster. No end of the world. No nothing. Nevertheless, Josh Harris, internet entrepreneur and aspiring artist, has decided that the 2nd coming is at hand. And "the new Messiah" is none other than Gilligan, that's right, that Gilligan, from Gilligan's Island. He does not mean the actor playing Gilligan. He is just an avatar for the divine Gilligan, preaching before his descent to earth. For Harris, life is a sad tug-of-war between those who control reality and those controlled by it. The weapon is media. And Harris, in an all-out onslaught on the world, has decided to make his own torpid existence into a new religion by asking a question that has never been asked before and has yet to be answered: is Gilligan really God -- or in Josh's lingo, Messiah 2.0?

1. Eyeball To Eyeball

March 11, 2015

Clyde Roper has dedicated his life to become the first person to see a giant squid. He started off as a lobster fisherman, but then became a zoologist, and for 30 years he has been searching for this mythical creature. The giant squid is supposed to be the size of a football field with eyes as big as volleyballs.

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