The Sicilian (film) howlingly grandiose manner that only a filmmaker with visions of epic greatness working on a large scale with a multinational cast can achieve." Leonard Maltin rated the film a "BOMB", calling it a "militantly lugubrious bio of Salvatore Giuliano". Producer McNall was personally disappointed by the film. "Given that "The Sicilian" was a descendant of Puzo's "The Godfather"," wrote McNall, "I had expected something with the same beauty, drama, and emotion. Cimino had shown with "The Deer Hunter" that he was capable of making such a movie. But he had failed." McNall even quoted Ebert's review in his appraisal of
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote character whose name is based on Tony Grisoni's), a 21st-century marketing executive thrown back through time and who meets Don Quixote. Their version would also have borrowed elements from Mark Twain's 1889 novel "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", including its time travel elements; after having failed "Don Quixote"s original attempt, Gilliam had unsuccessfully tried to adapt "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" into a film. Gilliam officialized "Don Quixote" to be his next project at the UK premiere of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" in 1998, with pre-production starting the same year. Gilliam, tired with Hollywood