Sorry to hear you had that problem. I've changed my oil 4 times and by luck (perhaps), I've always opened the cap, "pull" the plug and let 'er drain, and then take out the filter (housing). First time I did it I quickly realized that my pan only had a 6.5 quart capacity... what a hot, oily mess. Bonus was that I got to watch it happen while still on my back. F&*%!
Also, since you're in USA:
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ngineOils.aspx