“Date Night” isn’t a remake, and it’s set in the present day. But it still feels as if it’s another example of an old truism: The easiest nostalgia is always nostalgia for whatever happened a few decades ago.
“American Graffiti” and, subsequently, “Happy Days” revisited the ‘50s in the ‘70s, “Boogie Nights” and “Reservoir Dogs” moved to a ‘70s groove in the ‘90s … And now we’re awash in the ‘80s, from the setting of “Hot Tub Time Machine” to remakes like “Clash of the Titans” to a disconcerting slew of projects in the works: “The Karate Kid,” “Red Dawn,” “The A Team,” etc.,