The movie’s tagline was depressingly on the money – “Whoever wins… we lose” indeed – but at least the poster made it look like a match-up worth waiting for. For years, fans had clamoured to see the two biggest alien badasses from across the cinematic galaxy fighting each other, and this poster gave us a hint of what we might expect. Unfortunately, ‘Alien Vs Predator’ came across like a slightly more polished version of internet fan fiction. We’ll have to make do with this hieroglyphic-style face-off and imagine what could have been.

If there’s one thing that Frank Miller can do well, it’s make monochrome look good. If there’s one thing that Frank Miller can’t do so well, it’s make those static images into enjoyable movies. Miller wrote and directed this adaptation of the 1940s comic-book hero and although this poster has really loud echoes of 'Sin City’, 'The Spirit’ was not fit to lace Jessica Alba’s cowboy boots. Anyone convinced to go see it by the poster would have been surprised to watch a kitsch superhero romp that verged on unintentional parody.

If you’re not familiar with Tyler Perry’s Madea movies, then consider yourself lucky. They consist of Perry (a man, if you’re not familiar) dressing up as an old lady and spouting catchphrases like “Hallelujer!” in what will presumably one day be revealed as an epic troll of 90s-era Eddie Murphy fatsuit comedies. This beautiful poster contains precisely zero hints of any 'Norbit’-style comedy or any 'Big Momma’s House’-esque hi-jinx – there’s just no way that’s an accident. Someone get Trading Standards on the phone!

The story behind the poster for 'Future-Kill’ is easily more interesting than the story of 'Future-Kill’. Renowned Swiss sci-fi artist HR Giger inked this eerie poster after claiming that director Ronald W Moore came to him in tears, claiming finance for his future-set thriller would be pulled if he couldn’t convince the artist to design the artwork. A poster from the twisted mind behind 'Alien’’s xenomorph would theoretically do wonders for the movie, but the sci-fi swiftly vanished from cinemas and sank without trace, its poster being the only remarkable thing about it.

You’d be hard pushed to remember a single scene or line of dialogue from this dour Mark Wahlberg action thriller (which somehow managed to be less cinematic than the videogame it was based on), but there’s no denying the visual impact this early teaser poster has – blockbusters rarely have one-sheets this artfully composed. Anyone who gave this poster a passing glance might have assumed that the movie had a supernatural element, but alas, the movie is limited to Wahlberg’s depressed cop scowling in the rain.

Hands up if you remember a pre-Oscar Sandra Bullock in this 2007 psychological thriller? It’s one of the most forgettable movies ever made, like it was written with invisible ink and printed on disposable film. The poster, on the other hand, is one for the ages: it shows the face of Sandra Bullock, ingeniously assembled with little more than tree branches and a murder of ominous crows in the sky. It does a fantastic job in creating an atmosphere that the movie itself just couldn’t match.

History has been kind to Paul Verhoeven’s ode to camp, but despite its resurgence as a cult favourite, 'Showgirls’ is never going to find itself induced into the AFI’s Hall of Fame. Surprisingly for a movie that’s so keen to thrust body parts in your face at all times, the poster is understated, erotic and way sexier than any scene in the film. Elizabeth Berkley’s body is strategically covered in all the right places, leaving just a tantalising flash of skin to have 'Saved By The Bell’ fans salivating.

The most famous teaser poster in history, this LucasFilm one-sheet debuted in 1998 and whipped Star Wars fans into a frenzy. Could 'The Phantom Menace’ really be this classy and understated? Did George Lucas really still have his mojo? Was young Jake Lloyd going to give shades of grey to Darth Vader? Um… no. Sorry. 'Episode I’ was a fartsplosion of epic proportions, leaving a skidmark on the Star Wars saga that’s yet to wash out. Shame, because this poster is a thing of beauty – you will never see any Star Wars-related media this clean or uncluttered ever again.

It’s hard to make Spider-Man look bad, but the makers of 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ managed that impossible feat with their gaudy, sprawling sequel. For a while, however, it looked like 'TASM2’ might have been worth a swing, when this barnstorming IMAX poster was teased before release: simple yet effective, it gives more of a sense of Spider-Man’s movement in one still image and two colours than the entire movie managed in two hours and 22 minutes. Hope the poster for 'Spider-Man: Homecoming’ was paying attention.

Okay, no one really thinks Bryan Singer’s 'Superman’ sequel was a terrible movie – especially not now we’re in the 'Man Of Steel’ era – but this poster is an absolute pearler. Squint and it almost looks like Christopher Reeve floating in a Christ-like pose over the nation he’s committed to protect; the lighting and the sense of scale are perfect, and the muted colour takes the edge off of Superman’s bright palette. Head bowed and with an inscrutable expression, this is the godlike Superman we all want to see on screen: mysterious and majestic and indescribably powerful.