Catfish Final Response

Kayla Hutsell
Period 6
Catfish

Imagine involving yourself with a person who doesn’t even exist. Think about the feeling that you may have had for this person, and think about the feeling you had when you found out that they aren’t real. Throughout a long nine month period, Yaniv Schulman, his brother, and their friend grew close to a family, through their 8 year old painter of a daughter. Over Facebook, a social networking site, they are able to see pictures, read about what they are doing, and much more. When things start to get ‘fishy’, Nev and the two others dig beyond what’s on the family’s many profile pages.

The movie “Catfish” was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, starring Yaniv (Nev) Schulman, Melody C. Roscher and Ariel Schulman. Filmed in late 2007 and released on September 17th in 2010, this movie involves Facebook and the many ways that Facebook is unprotected and misleading. Throughout the film, we are provided with the story of Nev, a 24 year old photographer of dance. Nev takes pictures of many types of dancers all over the country, particularly in New York. After two of his photos are placed in a New York newspaper, he receives two paintings of his photographs from an 8 year old girl named Abby. Nev, his brother, and their friend adventure into the world of Facebook and go further then what they already know about the Wesselman family.

Through the connection with Abby, Nev grew close to their whole family. He talks on the phone with Angela, Abby’s mom. He also gains many of the connections through Facebook. He ends up talking more and more with Abby’s half sister Megan. He seems to have a strong liking towards Megan. They talk on the phone, text and also Facebook message each other. Nev later sends a photo-shopped picture to Megan of both of them together, seeing as they haven’t ever met, to show Megan how they would look if they were to meet someday. Megan also is told to be a singer. She records songs for Nev and his roommates, and they of course, listen to them. Soon however, they start getting curious. Megan started recording songs and sending them to Nev, and then Nev would look up that song on YouTube. Every song sounded exactly like the first hit on YouTube. Soon, Nev is confused with the whole family. He is starting to think that they lied about everything, and he feels hurt through the process. Nev and his 2 partners in crime decide that they will have an impromptu visit to Michigan to visit Megan and Abby. When they arrive to Michigan, they are surprised by people that do not look anything like the photos on Facebook.Finally, after a few days in Michigan, Nev gets the truth out of Angela.

I think that it was really interesting how it was so easy for Angela to create so many different people, and to live the life she’s always dreamed of through the internet. I think that Henry did a good job with the fill in effects, like the parts where there would be a cursor, or it would start out as a webpage. I think that the Google maps and Google earth made it easy to follow the boys on their journey to Michigan. The turn by turn directions in the car were really intriguing to watch. The movie provided its viewers with a deeper look into the lives of people on Facebook. It made me question myself. Like how many people actually do that? How do they have the time? How do they remember which is which? To me, it all seems very confusing. I also think that the name “Catfish”, and how it came about, added an interesting twist into the movie. Angela’s husband, Vince, starts telling the camera that without the catfish in the same nets with the cods while they are shipped overseas, then the cod would become tasteless. But with them, however, they keep the cod agile. This relates to Angela because she seems to be a catfish that was placed in this world to keep people on their toes.

In the end, I find that this movie is particularly creepy. I do think however, that it was beneficial for viewers to see the effects that the Internet has on people, and the way that relationships now seem to grow prematurely over the Internet. I like the fact that they were able to portray the different faces of Angela and how when they went there to Michigan, they asked Angela about her multi personalities. This proves that there are more of these people throughout the world, giving us a guideline to always know who you are “adding as your friend” on social networking sites. I also think that it was intriguing that they ever thought that this relationship would turn well. To me, that seems insane. It’s crazy how the Internet can connect people, but it’s also interesting to see how they work out in the end.

Catfish Day Three

I don't even know what to say. I knew after yesterday that this movie was going to go no where but downhill for Angela. She seems to have some pathological lying problem. She lies about everything over facebook, and then, when Nev comes to visit her, she lies even more by saying that she does have a daughter and that she has cancer. I think that it was really sad that one of her sons died toward the end. But this lady was actually very pathetic and she didnt think it would come and bite her but it did. I am so creeped out by this whole story it has made me more cautious with my use of facebook and who I friend. I think the only part that made some what of sense in this movie was the catfish story at the end. It made sense, and Vince felt like without people like Angela in the world, people who become selfish and lazy.

Catfish Day 2

This movie is getting more weird every single day. Today the 3 men went to see if Abby and the family was real. They figured out that Abby, Angela, Megan and Vince are real people. The whole thing is super creepy though because they look completely different then in the facebook pictures that they had seen before. You also find out that there are two more handicapped brothers that were never mentioned on the phone or in the emails. Also today, Angela let the 3 guys meet Abby, and Abby admitted to not even painting that much. I think that Angela does it all, she paints, she talks on the phone, she is the one that is creating this massive, crazy, twisted story. She also admitted that Megan has never texted or talked to him on the phone. It is so scary.

Catfish Day One

This is the weirdest movie I have ever seen in my life. It is super creepy and I am now scared to keep my facebook up. I think its really crazy that people would actually make up a family like I think that these people are. I think that there is only one person who is playing all of these people. I think that the mom has a voice changer and she just plays the part of all of these people. I think that Nev is right about Megan and how she sends him Youtube videos pretending that she is singing. That's the creepiest thing ever. I also think that its creepy the way that Nev and Megan talk to eachother. They haven't even met eachother so how would they even know if they like eachother. It's overall just super weird and I'm completely creeped out.

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