2. Shootout - The Untouchables
Quite possibly the best sequence Brian De Palma ever directed, the famous steps sequence from The Untouchables is a masterclass in how to use slow-mo effectively. The director initially employs it to build suspense with long, lingering glances at the gangsters entering the building, before the scene explodes in gratuitous violence as Eliot Ness unloads shotgun shells into a fleet of gangsters while trying to ensure that a baby in a buggy doesn't get caught in the crossfire. The true virtuoso moment comes when Ness runs out of ammo despite still having one goon left to kill. Ness' partner (Andy Garcia) throws him a gun, still in slow-motion, which he slickly catches and uses to kill the last baddie, bringing to a close a technically magnificent, superbly-staged sequence that proves you
can milk slow motion without it getting too silly (though the scene was amusingly parodied in the film Naked Gun 33 1/3).