Though she is third billed, Pamela Reed is the real star of this unpleasant but apparently realistic and very well-acted movie.
Disclosure: I was once a "World Famous Psychic" for Globe magazine. But I have two friends who wrote for the National Enquirer. I know stories from them that give me insight into the accuracy of "Scandal Sheet."
One friend had been a journalist, had even been among the last to leave Vietnam; there's even a photo of him on the Internet in his war correspondent costume -- and over his real name.
When he went from his Los Angeles home to Florida to work for the Enquirer, he changed his last name. Understandably, in my opinion.
He was sent, as one of his first assignments, to New York to do a story on Gregory Peck, who was making a movie. He spoke to Mr. Peck in the lobby of their hotel and Mr. Peck very politely said, "I never speak to that publication," a common enough retort, I believe.
My friend called down to Florida to explain and was told, "Hey, you're supposed to be a reporter. Get that story!"
He then called Mr. Peck's room, and this time Mr. Peck was not so polite in his refusal.
My friend couldn't take any more and resigned from the Enquirer. And took a job at the Weekly World News.
The other friend told interviewees he was from a certain news agency, and probably told most of them he would sell his story to whoever would take it -- which was always the Enquirer.
He told me of getting a 3 a.m. phone call from an irate Whoopi Goldberg, giving him a sound reaming for interviewing her daughter.
There really is not much honor or honesty in those supermarket tabloids, and "Scandal Sheet" does a good job of demonstrating that.
I cannot warmly recommend the movie, except to say it is awfully well done, the acting is great, some of the scenery, that around Santa Barbara, is beautiful, but the ugliness barely qualifies as entertainment.
If you do want to see it, it's available at YouTube. I saw it on a DVD, which I'm donating to my local Friends of the Library. I don't want it in my house.
