If you have a mac then iMovie does an excellent job making slideshows with transition effects.
XP also comes with a movie maker program (not sure what the name is) that does much the same.
As for a static background photo... I'm not sure. I do know you can find special effect plug-ins for both programs(some free, some not). You might find just the plug-in to do the job.
Don't forget to check in the photo forums.
good luck,
grim
I was wondering if anyone know where I can find a slide show program that you can choose a background photo and your photos drop in at random with different transitions

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic