@"TM2YC"
I have noticed the reel change marks. They're a beautiful sign of a bygone age, but I think putting them in would defeat the purpose of this project. They're a byproduct of the theatrical exhibition experience, not a deliberate aesthetic change made to Leone's work, so I think they're better off left omitted from any shots that have 1:1 equivalents in the Extended Director's Cut.
I haven't actually listened to all of the audio yet. I'm kind of making that my reward for finishing the video sync. The hospital scene always struck me as an interesting choice, looking forward to hearing exactly what was discussed.
The beach scene: We're two of the same mind. For any shots that have direct visual continuity with shots from the long cut (in this case, the fade from the dancing), I'm matching up the proportions and placement of the shots within the 16:9 frame to approximate their position in the original aspect ratio. I'm pretty sure that all the beach scene's dialogue used in the alternate angles is sourced from the same takes as the EDC. However, I am not convinced that version was used just for the sake of the VHS. Would they have gone to all the trouble of creating a new crossfade - for a movie that flopped no less? Considering that all of the end credits and portions of the opening credits are squished horizontally, I suspect it's more likely that they would have just done the same for any shots that were "too wide" for pan and scan.
Regardless, I'm sticking to this rule: Any and all alternate angles present in this VHS version will be used in lieu of their HD counterparts.