AN ACR B727 FLC HAS THEIR STAR CLRNC CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES AS THE WX AND TFC SIT CHANGED. THE LAST STAR ASSIGNED HAD 'EXPECT' CLRNC ALT VERSUS 'CROSS' AT ALT AT DESIGNATED POINTS. THE FLC MISSED THE 'EXPECT' NOTATION AND STARTED DOWN WITHOUT A CLRNC.

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WHILE ON ARR TO LAX WE WERE 'CLRED TO DSND VIA THE CIVET ONE ARR.' AS WE WERE APCHING CIVET; THE FIRST ALT RESTR; WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT THE MUDDE TWO AND 'SHOULD REVIEW IT.' IT IS SIMILAR TO THE CIVET ONE AND WE WERE EXPECTING A DSND VIA CLRNC FOR THE MUDDE TWO. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE TOLD NOT TO EXPECT THE MUDDE TWO AND WERE TOLD TO CONTINUE DSCNT VIA THE CIVET ONE. SHORTLY AFTER THIS WE WERE CLRED FOR THE REEDR THREE ARR AND EXPECT THE APCH TO RWY 7R. THIS ARR DOESN'T UTILIZE A 'DSND VIA' CLRNC. I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY REALIZE THIS. AFTER REVIEWING THE 3 PREVIOUSLY CLRED/EXPECTED ARR PROCS I WAS PREPARED FOR ANOTHER DSND VIA CLRNC. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS BASET AT 10000 FT AT 250 KTS. I HAD JUST GOTTEN THE REEDR ARR AND THE ILS TO RWY 7R OUT TO REVIEW THEM. I QUICKLY GLANCED AT IT TO CHK THE DME OF THE JUST RECEIVED CLRNC AND NOTICED I WOULD HAVE TO HURRY DOWN TO MAKE THE RESTR. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING WE CROSSED BASET. THE CAPT STATED WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO MEET THE NEXT RESTR. I GLANCED AT THE STAR TO CONFIRM THE ALT AND DME OF THE NEXT FIX. THE ALT; WHICH WAS IN BOLD PRINT; STOOD OUT AND WAS EASY TO CONFIRM QUICKLY. WHAT I FAILED TO SEE IN THE QUICK GLANCE WAS THE NOTE TO 'EXPECT' THIS ALT. 'EXPECT' WAS NOT IN BOLD PRINT AS IT IS ON OTHER STARS AT OTHER ARPTS. AT APPROX 9500 FT THE CTLR SAID; WE SHOULD STILL BE AT 10000 FT; BUT TO GO AHEAD AND DSND TO 9000 FT; SINCE THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. A FEW MINS LATER WE HEARD THE SAME CTLR TELL ANOTHER ACFT HE WASN'T CLRED OUT OF 10000 FT; BUT TO LEVEL AT 9000 FT. I GUESS WE WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES CONFUSED BY THE MULTIPLE CLRNCS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO THOROUGHLY REVIEW THE STAR BEFORE BEING CLRED FOR IT. IT ALSO MIGHT HAVE HELPED IF 'EXPECT' WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BOLD PRINT; LIKE THE ALT. ESPECIALLY AT AN ARPT THAT COMMONLY USES 'DSND VIA' CLRNCS.