Austrian Diplomat Flees as Hurricane Brüno Makes Landfall Overseas

The Australian moviegoing public has asserted itself as the first to welcome Brüno to theaters, dropping $1.4 million on its opening day -- the country's best-ever opening for any comedy not named Meet the Fockers or Sex and the City. Sadly, one of Austria's other, less flamboyant ambassadors is not celebrating Sacha Baron Cohen's accomplishment, as if the star calling Austria a great place to "have a job, find a dungeon and raise a family there" is a bad thing. Naturally, Brüno himself had a good cry over the controversy this morning on Today; the video follows the jump.

Give credit to Brüno interrogator Matt Lauer, who, since his cameo in Land of the Lost, has continued to improve at NBC Universal's synergy game. Nevertheless, you can't help but think this was a crucial missed opportunity for Ann Curry, whose historically probing questions about topics from Austrian outrage and the triumph of large, big, powerful gays really were tailor-made for an interview like this.

· Austrian ambassador blunders on Brüno [The Telegaph]

· 'Brüno' a hit Down Under [THR]