Sugidama is a hidden gem among Davis Square’s Asian eateries that stands out for its specialty in soba – the classic Japanese buckwheat noodle, made fresh and in-house.

New Year’s is bound to be an indoors affair while a pandemic is till raging outside, but there are ways to make the night festive and unique.

Relegated largely to the small screen, many of our favorite films looked inside as well, from the psychology of “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” to the forced interiority of “Sound of Metal,” or just shrank the American dream, from “Nomadland” to “First Cow.”

In announcing the $40,141 shared by 24 musicians, Passim showed how coronavirus has made a difference in awards that began in 2008: The year’s applications reveal “a dramatic increase” in requests for audio and video recording equipment for home studios and livestreaming.

This coronavirus edition of movies to shelter with includes Pixar’s latest, “Soul” and some lighthearted superheroing from Robert Rodriguez, as well as some darker works: “The Dissident,” about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi; the four-star “Painted Bird”; and much more.

For even more reason to look forward to 2021, the exhibit “The Carpet Grew Like a Garden” begins Jan. 14 at Gallery 263 in Cambridgeport, showing works by Iranian-born Shabnam Jannesari.

Part of Tom Hank’s cinematic appeal has always been the way his “decent fella” navigates a brutal land, and it’s put on full display in “News of the World” as his truth teller takes on the responsibility of shepherding an orphaned girl to her aunt and uncle.

Patty Jenkins’ highly anticipated and massively delayed (thanks, Covid) follow-up to her 2017 “Wonder Woman” checks in at a wondrous two and a half hours plus, and it doesn’t truly feel that long until it rounds the final bend … for the third and fourth time.

Boston expat comedian Myq Kaplan has signed on as co-host of the weekly “Comedy Studio Podcast” produced out of the Union Square, Somerville, comedy club, replacing the outgoing Eli Levy. But he had terms.

If there was any doubt: The Boston Celtic Music Fest will be online for its 18th year due to coronavirus restrictions.