A 42-year-old man in Taiwan with a history of high blood pressure has died after watching the blockbuster movie Avatar. The man, surnamed Kuo, started to feel unwell during a recent screening in the northern city of Hsinchu and was taken to hospital. On arrival the man was unconscious and a scan showed he was suffering a brain hemorrhage. Mr Kuo died eleven days later from his symptoms.

Doctor Peng Chin-chih told news agency AFP on Tuesday that it is likely that over-excitement while watching the movie triggered the brain hemorrhage.

Mr Kuo's case is the first death to be linked to the science fiction movie. Several film blogging sites however have reported complaints of headaches and dizziness from watching the movie with its 3D special effects.

Meanwhile Hong Kong's Apple Daily has reported that the highly-successful Avatar is to be pulled from most cinemas in China. The newspaper said this is because of concerns that the film could cause social unrest. The film deals with the colonization and exploitation of an alien planet. Chinese bloggers in China have reportedly drawn parallels with vulnerable people in China who are at risk of losing their homes to property developers.