Once the king of video rentals, Blockbuster closes its 300 remaining stores for good this weekend, including local franchises in Clermont, Ocala, Oviedo and Sanford.

On Saturday, the day before Blockbuster's last day open for business, the Clermont location was swarming with customers who haven't been by in years.



For decades, movie stores were a mainstay for family entertainment. The company got its start in the late 1980s, growing steadily under the direction of former Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga.



"We came here all the time. We came here since I was a kid," said Shelsea Temples, a regular customer at the Clermont Blockbuster who was sad that her trip to the store on Saturday would likely be her last.

Just 10 years ago, Blockbuster was flourishing, with 9,000 locations nationwide. But Temples was part of a dwindling minority who didn't give way to automated video machines, like Redbox, offering more convenience and lower prices.

"You don't get the same quality," Temples insisted, defending the Blockbuster experience even at the franchise's last stand. "You don't get to talk to them. I can ask the gentleman, 'How do you see this movie? Is it good?'"

These days, a lot of people like to get movies from the comfort of their couch without ever leaving home, either on their tablets or on demand, streaming on their TV.



"It just got to be a pain having to remember to bring them back and drop them on the box, and the time limits," said Paul Hartman, recalling the days of having to return a movie on time or face late fees.

Blockbuster actually boasted a boost in its final hours -- not renting movies and games -- but selling them as stores try to empty their shelves.

"Oh, gosh, it's been years," Joshua Restler said when we asked the customer how long it had been since he last rented a movie at Blockbuster. "I'm honestly just here to try to get some good deals on Blu-Rays and DVDs, and maybe some video games."

Blockbuster is offering savings of up to 90 percent and selling previously-viewed Blu-Rays and DVDS for 99 cents through Sunday.