Porn flick a winner in Pennsylvania governor's race

[September 11, 2014] By Elizabeth Daley

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - A campy low-budget pornographic horror film is enjoying newfound popularity after one of its actors was spotted appearing in a campaign commercial for the Democrat running for governor of Pennsylvania, the film's director said on Wednesday.

The television ad, featuring Alan Benyak, was taken down earlier this week after the campaign of candidate Tom Wolf learned of Benyak's past.

Benyak, a Pittsburgh-area lawyer, appeared as "Mr. Cannibal" in the 2013 horror film "Breeding Farm," an unrated movie about four friends kidnapped and held captive at a human breeding farm.

A preview shows a man torturing women and saying: "You were watched, chosen and now you're gonna breed."

Director Cody Knotts said he went public with Benyak's appearance in the porn flick.

"I just tweeted that I liked his performance better in our video than in the Tom Wolf one," Knotts said. "It's my job as a director to promote the film."

The controversy has sent sales of "Breeding Farm," made by Troma Entertainment, soaring, he said.

The film has risen to be Troma's top-selling Blu-Ray disc on Amazon.com, he said. It is only available back-ordered on BestBuy.com as well, said the director, who said he is a Republican and has run for state office.

Wolf's campaign has said it was unaware of the movie and on Wednesday bemoaned the attention the incident was getting.

"It's disappointing this has become a distraction from Tom's plan to fund education, create jobs, and get Pennsylvania moving again after four years of Tom Corbett's failed policies," spokeswoman Beth Melena wrote in an email.

Wolf faces incumbent Republican Corbett in the November election.

Diane Bowman, deputy executive director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said the party stands behind Wolf.

"We certainly support him all the way. Go candidate," Bowman said.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Daley; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Eric Beech)

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