Inside Movies The Place Where Movies and Stars Align

Vampire movies don't always work.

The genre-spoofing indie film 'Transylmania' endured the worst opening in the history of the domestic box office over the weekend for a movie opening up in more than 1,000 theaters, according entertainment news site TheWrap.

One of the most talked-about film performances of 2009 is Colin Firth's starring role in 'A Single Man.' The British actor's beautifully sensitive portrayal of George Falconer, a gay college professor whose longtime partner dies suddenly, has put him on the shortlist for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. The film, based on the 1964 Christopher Isherwood novel of the same name, was written, directed and produced by Tom Ford, the American fashion designer previously known mainly for helming the houses of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. 'A Single Man' premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival, at which Firth won the Volpi Cup (best actor award).

Firth is probably best known for playing two not terribly different incarnations of a Jane Austen character: ultimate 19th-century heartthrob Mr. Darcy in the beloved 1995 miniseries 'Pride and Prejudice' and his 21st-century counterpart, Mark Darcy, in 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.' But he's also shown his range via diverse roles in movies such as 'Where the Truth Lies,' 'Mamma Mia!' and 'Nanny McPhee.' His screen personae tend to be intelligent, understated and dryly witty, and the man's no different in real life. He chatted with Moviefone about 'A Single Man,' 'Bridget Jones' and playing bad guys, among other other things.

WWE Films is stepping out of the ring for its first non-action movie and has cast Patricia Clarkson, Devon Graye, Madeleine Martin, Danny Glover and wrestling-champ-turned-action-hero John Cena in the PG-rated melodrama 'Brother's Keeper.'

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film centers on a high-school boy who tries to bring his family together 10 years after the death of his father, a state college wrestling legend. Though the boy has no apparent athletic talents, he decides that the only way to reunite his mother and estranged older brother, also a former wrestling champ, is to join the high school wrestling team.

Past, present and fantasy come together in this week's DVD releases. First up is the blockbuster 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' which takes the wizard saga one step closer to its monumental end; 'Julia & Julia' transposes past and present as it explores the lives of two women who turn to cooking to find their way in the world; and 'Public Enemies' takes a look at a violent chapter in American history as it follows the bloody exploits of John Dillinger and the FBI.

Forget Middle Earth; it seems like Elijah Wood is far more comfortable in Antarctica. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Wood is all set to strap on his dancing flippers for a second round of penguin tap-dancing in Warner Bros.' 'Happy Feet 2,' the sequel to Village Roadshow's 2006 Oscar-winning animation.

Wood, who last lent his vocal chords to the titular character in this year's animated feature '9,' is currently in negotiations to reprise his role as Mumble, the painfully cute penguin who doesn't quite fit in with his peers thanks to his talent for tapping.

Syndicated columnist and Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington set Hollywood atwitter yesterday when she sent out a Tweet saying she was headed to Chicago "to take part in the Wachowskis' movie on iraq [sic] from the perspective of the future."

Over the course of the day, she sent out several more updates from the film's set, including photos of herself on a green screen set in futuristic wardrobe and makeup, and a shot of herself with the filmmakers Andy and Lana (formerly Larry) Wachowski, taken upon the shoot's "wrap."

Oscar race handicappers don't usually complain about a dearth of supporting actor contenders; there's usually plenty of buddies, sidekicks, dads, and villains to fill the bill. Not this year, though. Aside from one or two sure things, there's no telling who might sneak into the category, or how deep the Academy and Globes voters may have to dig to find the rest of the supporting actor slate.

The Locks: The only bet-the-farm sure thing in the race is Christoph Waltz (pictured, right), a front-runner since May's Cannes Film Festival for his non-cartoonish Nazi villain in 'Inglourious Basterds.'