That's a heck of a way to open a hood! Chances are the hood was opened at the shop with the aid of a second person--sometimes the hood would need to be pushed further down to allow the latch to release while the release handle is being pulled---or pulled upward at the same time. Sometimes a dry latch only needs some lubricant. As for the filter--unless there's some sort of spraying leak it's hard to imagine a filter being covered with dirt after only a mile of driving. Is the oil pressure switch located near the filter? -- Dave