Greenberg gradually moved from intimate dramas toward more action-oriented fare, which suited him well when Hollywood came calling. Although he had worked on the routine US-produced Western, MADRON (1970), which was shot in Israel, his first notable American film was Sam Fuller's expansive, hard-hitting and poetic war drama THE BIG RED ONE (1980). That same year he would also work with Boaz Davidson, an Israeli colleague from several past films, on SEED OF INNOCENCE. Greenberg's Hollywood breakthrough, though, came with the exciting sci-fi actioner, THE TERMINATOR (1984), whose cinematography evoked both the dark, steamy violence of film noir and the coldly riveting grimness of high-tech fantasy. Greenberg and director James Cameron would team again for an excellent and more elaborate sequel, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991). Other work, meanwhile, has shown a flair for the slick imagery suited to screen horror, as with Kathryn Bigelow's striking NEAR DARK (1987), or the gentler fantasies of ALIEN NATION (1988), GHOST (1990) and TOYS (1992).
Greenberg has also continued to work in drama (LA BAMBA) and farce (3 MEN AND A BABY; both 1987). Indeed, his 90s work suggested a move to milder fare, especially comedy, as in the blockbusters SISTER ACT (1992) and DAVE (1993). His other 1990s credits include 3 MEN AND A LITTLE LADY (1990), LOVE HURTS (1991), RENAISSANCE MAN, NORTH and JUNIOR (all 1994), FIRST KNIGHT (1995), ERASER (1996), SPHERE and RUSH HOUR (both 1998) and INSPECTOR GADGET (1999).
The 2000s have seen his COLLATERAL DAMAGE and THE SANTA CLAUSE 2 (both 2002), and SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006).
Nominated for Achievement in Cinematography 1991: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
1 nomination